Discover the Maldives
Beneath the surface of a nation built on water.
From the first resort in 1972 to world-class diving today — explore the story and the reefs that made the Maldives a destination like no other.
Diving in the Maldives
A living aquarium, 1,200 islands wide.
The Maldives sits on a vast coral plateau rising from the Indian Ocean. Warm waters, visibility that often exceeds 30 metres, and a web of channels — kandus — and submerged reefs — thilas — create one of the planet's richest marine ecosystems.
Divers share the water with manta rays, whale sharks, grey reef sharks, turtles, and clouds of tropical fish. Most sites are reachable year-round, with the dry season (November–April) bringing the clearest visibility and the wet season bringing the largest pelagic visitors.
30m+
Visibility
700+
Fish species
26
Atolls
Ari Atoll
Whale-shark and manta hotspots, drift dives along thilas.
North Malé Atoll
Accessible channels with grey reef sharks and eagle rays.
Baa Atoll
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve — famous manta ray cleaning stations.
Vaavu Atoll
Fotteyo Kandu — one of the Maldives' most celebrated channel dives.
Tourism history
From a single resort to a global icon.
Tourism transformed the Maldives from a quiet island nation into one of the world's most sought-after destinations — carefully, sustainably, one island at a time.
1972
First tourist resort
Kurumba Maldives opens near Malé, marking the birth of organized tourism in the country.
1980s
One-island-one-resort
The iconic resort model takes shape, blending barefoot luxury with reef conservation.
1997
Dive tourism matures
Liveaboards expand access to remote atolls, making diving a flagship Maldives experience.
2008
Democratic reforms
A new constitution opens the economy; tourism arrivals pass 600,000 a year.
2019
1.7M visitors
Tourism becomes the Maldives' largest industry, driving 28% of GDP directly.
Today
Sustainable horizons
Carbon-neutral goals, marine protected areas, and eco-resorts lead the next chapter.
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