Whale sharks, mantas & the South Ari reefs
Dive with the Bros on Dhigurah, the island right next to the South Ari Marine Protected Area, where whale sharks swim all year. Small groups, brand-new ScubaPro gear and a drone that helps us find the giants.
Local guides, new gear, good vibes
Dive Bro's is a PADI 5 Star dive center on Dhigurah, a long, narrow local island on the southern edge of Ari Atoll. Instructors Saamee, Aru and Adheel grew up with these reefs and dive them every day.
Guests talk about clear briefings, a crew that sets up your gear, brand-new ScubaPro equipment and guides who look after nervous divers and kids as carefully as old hands. Between dives the team flies a drone to spot whale sharks and mantas from the air, so when one is near, you are in the water fast.
Light Night · Dhigurah
From your first breath to the blue
Boat dives every morning from Dhigurah harbour. Sites are chosen for the tide, the season and the group, and we stop for a whale shark snorkel whenever the drone finds one.
Guided boat dives
Manta cleaning stations, the thilas of Dhigurah channel and the Kudhi Maa wreck. Two dives a morning, with the drone up between them.
Discover Scuba
Try diving with an instructor at your side. Patient, calm and fun, and kids are looked after with extra care.
PADI courses
Open Water, Advanced Open Water and specialties, taught in small groups on some of the best training reefs in the Maldives.
Whale shark snorkel
Half-day trips along the protected outer reef in search of whale sharks, with mantas, turtles and dolphins on the way.
Our neighbours are whale sharks
The protected area runs along the southern reef from Dhigurah to Maamigili and beyond. In the south-west monsoon the sharks are often found close to Dhigurah, in the north-east monsoon more often further west.
- Keep at least 3 m from the shark and never swim above it.
- No touching, no flash and no scooters.
- Short, calm encounters. Our guides brief you before every swim.
Channels, thilas & a sunken freighter
Dhigurah sits beside Dhigurahshu Kandu, one of the richest channels in the Maldives. These are the sites we dive most, with depths, currents and what to look for.
Also in our logbook: Lily Rock manta cleaning station, Shark Point and the Randhi wreck. Kudarah Thila and the South Ari Marine Protected Area are protected: no touching, no gloves, no collecting.
Filmed on our dives
No stock footage here. Whale sharks, mantas, grey reef sharks and snapper schools from Dive Bro's trips around Dhigurah.
Who you might meet down there
Whale sharks and mantas get the headlines, but South Ari reefs are packed with everything from titan triggerfish to oriental sweetlips. Tap any photo to see it larger.
Whale sharks all year, mantas in high season
The dry north-east monsoon from December to April brings calm seas, clear water and the best manta season on the east side of the atoll. From May to November it is wetter and windier, and the whale sharks are often right off Dhigurah.
- Water
- 27–30 °CWarm all year round.
- Visibility
- 20–30 m+Clearest in the dry season, greener when plankton blooms.
- Wetsuit
- 3 mmA shorty is enough for most divers.
- Currents
- TidalStrong in Dhigurahshu Kandu, mild on the inner reefs.
Four kilometres of island, a speedboat from Malé
Dhigurah is a narrow local island almost four kilometres long, ending in a white sandbank and one of the longest bikini beaches on any local island. Guesthouses, local food and real village life, with the money spent underwater instead of on a resort.
Fly to Malé
Velana International Airport · MLEDirect flights from Europe, the Gulf and Asia. Send us your arrival time.
Shared speedboat
About 1 h 40 to 2 h 30 · twice dailySpeedboats leave the airport jetty around late morning and late afternoon. Your guesthouse can book the seat for you.
Or fly to Maamigili
20 min flight + 20 min speedboatThe fastest option, and the calmest when the sea is rough. A slow public ferry also runs a few days a week for those with time.
Welcome to Dhigurah
Light Night · next to the harbourDrop by the shop for paperwork and gear fitting, then get ready for your first dive in the morning.
Two dives, a drone and a little luck
- Meet at the shopCheck-in, logbook and gear fitting with brand-new ScubaPro equipment.
- Out on the dhoniThe crew sets up your gear while we head to the first site.
- Briefing and first diveA clear briefing, then a relaxed dive away from the crowds.
- Drone up, eyes openBetween dives we fly the drone along the outer reef. Whale shark spotted? Mask on and in we go.
- Second dive, then homeBack on Dhigurah for lunch and an afternoon on the bikini beach.
“The chance to swim alone with a whale shark”
A special highlight was their brand-new diving equipment and drone setup. This helped us spot whale sharks and manta rays.
Saamee tried his best to spot them with the drone between the dives. The briefing was clear, the dive always safety.
The highlight of our trip was seeing a whale shark underwater!
What could have been a stressful learning experience turned into something we genuinely looked forward to every day.
Samaahû made sure I was at ease, comfortable and OK to complete the three dives.
They took us to amazing dive spots away from the crowds.
Message the Bros on WhatsApp
Tell us your dates, your level and what you want to see. We reply with a plan, today's rates and the best days for whale sharks and mantas.
- +960 765 3960
- @divebrosdhigurah
- Shop
- Light Night, Dhigurah 00070, South Ari Atoll, Maldives
- Open
- Every day, 07:00–22:00
Good to know: bring your certification card and logbook, and dive insurance that covers evacuation. Snorkellers and non-divers are welcome on whale shark trips.