If divers have heard of Vaavu, it is usually because of this dive. On the eastern rim of the atoll lies Alimatha, a resort island. For years the kitchen scraps and fish waste around its jetty attracted marine life, and today large numbers of tawny nurse sharks, together with stingrays and giant trevally, gather there after dark. Descending into the beam of a torch to find dozens of sharks circling is an experience divers talk about for years.
Alimatha is a short boat ride from Fulidhoo, and dive centres in the atoll — including those working with Fulidhoo guesthouses — run the trip as a night dive. Because the site is relatively sheltered, it is often possible when the outer channels are too rough.
What to see and do: Alimatha Night Dive
The night dive
A typical trip leaves around dusk, with a briefing on the boat and a descent to the sandy bottom near the jetty. You stay low, keep your torch steady and let the sharks come to you. Expect a single dive of about an hour.
A day dive nearby
Some operators combine the night dive with a late-afternoon dive on a nearby reef or channel, so that you are already kitted up and familiar with the conditions.
Snorkellers
The Alimatha night dive is a scuba dive. Snorkellers who want to see nurse sharks should join a daytime nurse-shark trip instead; they are offered from Fulidhoo and from Malé.
How to get to Alimatha Night Dive
- Book through your guesthouse or a dive centre in Vaavu; transfers are by the operator’s boat.
- From Malé you cannot do this as a day trip in practice — stay in Vaavu.
- Arriving soon? Warm up with a night dive near Malé or a Discover Scuba session.
Insider tips
- Certification: operators usually ask for at least Open Water certification and recent experience; bring your logbook and card.
- Don’t touch the sharks or chase them with your torch; point it at the sand rather than into their eyes.
- Fly safely: leave at least 18–24 hours between your last dive and your flight home, as dive agencies recommend.
- Insurance should cover scuba diving to the depth you plan; check before you travel.
Tours & trips for Alimatha Night Dive
These bookable experiences pair well with Alimatha Night Dive:
Diving from €135 Maldives: Night Dive with Equipment and Guide
When the sun sets the reef changes completely. Explore it by torchlight with a guide and all the equipment.
- Reef by torchlight
- Equipment and guide included
- Nocturnal marine life
Diving from €117 Maldives: Discover Scuba Diving
A beginner-friendly introduction to scuba: learn the basic skills, then dive with an instructor and explore the reef. No previous experience needed.
- No experience needed
- Basic skills with an instructor
- A first dive among reef life
Diving from €90 Maldives: Victory Shipwreck Scuba Dive
Dive the MV Maldive Victory, a cargo ship now covered in coral and fish, close to the airport. The wreck lies in fairly deep water and currents can run, so it is for certified divers — dive within your training.
- The Maldive Victory wreck near the airport
- Coral-covered hull and plenty of fish
- For certified divers
Full-day trip from €189 Malé: Nurse Shark Maldives & Fulidhoo Stingray Tour
A full day from the capital to Vaavu Atoll by speedboat: snorkelling with gentle nurse sharks, the stingrays of Fulidhoo, a look for dolphins and a picnic lunch.
- Snorkel with nurse sharks, stingrays and dolphins in Vaavu Atoll
- Speedboat from Malé
- Picnic lunch included
