Fuvahmulah North

Fuvahmulah is a single, isolated atoll island in the far south of the Maldives, in Gnaviyani Atoll, and its offshore sites are known chiefly for close encounters with tiger sharks and thresher sharks that approach the drop-offs near shore. The north side sites are typically reached by short boat rides from the island's harbor, dropping onto steep walls and channel edges where deep oceanic water pushes close to land. Currents around the atoll can be strong and unpredictable given the exposed, open-ocean setting, which is part of why these dives are generally considered suited to experienced divers. Depths at the shark-viewing areas are commonly in the 20 to 30 metre range, though exact profiles vary by operator and conditions on the day.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Raccoon ButterflyfishChaetodon lunulaReported here · unconfirmed
• Blackfin AnemonefishAmphiprion nigripesReported here · unconfirmed
• Meyer's ButterflyfishChaetodon meyeriReported here · unconfirmed
• Guineafowl PufferArothron meleagrisReported here · unconfirmed
• Tiger SharkGaleocerdo cuvierReported here · unconfirmed
• Lethrinus olivaceusReported here · unconfirmed
• Indo-Pacific Sergeant MajorAbudefduf vaigiensisReported here · unconfirmed
• Laced MorayGymnothorax favagineusReported here · unconfirmed
• Yellowfin SurgeonfishAcanthurus xanthopterusReported here · unconfirmed