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South Ari Atoll Maldives: whale sharks, getting there, costs
- Dhigurah, South Ari Atoll
- whale shark protected area
- boat needed
- August 2026
In short Whale sharks are in the South Ari Atoll all year, but there is no guarantee – before our tour, no operator had seen one for two days.
Translated from the German original.
While snorkeling I estimated visibility, water temperature and depth, just as I experienced them on the days I was there. On dives the dive computer measured depth and duration, and values with a named source show what is usual there, not how it was for me.
At the Bikini Beach of Dhigurah, in South Ari Atoll in the Maldives, visibility was five meters. The stirred-up white sand made the water foggy. Colors were hard to make out.
From Dhigurah, we could only reach the whale sharks and the good reefs by boat. On the day of the whale shark tour we had twenty meters of visibility out there. The atoll is known above all for its whale sharks. In August 2026 we spent four nights on Dhigurah, the only island of the atoll that we know.
At a glance
| Our island | Dhigurah, at the whale shark protected area: long sandbank, lots of shade, no easy way from the Bikini Beach to a good reef |
| Getting there | Speedboat from Malé, 204.75 US dollars for two adults and one child (August 2026); the operators state two and a half hours |
| Whale sharks | all year round, but with no guarantee; before our tour, no operator had seen one for two days |
| Protected area entry fee | currently none (as of May 2025) |
| Accommodation | around 90 euros per night for two adults and one child (August 2026); considerably different depending on season and occupancy |
| Whale shark tour | 90 US dollars for adults, 45 for children under 12 (August 2026) |
| Travel time | whale sharks all year round; according to the weather service it is dry from January to March |
| Be sure to pack | Mosquito spray and something for after the bite |
Contents
- At a glance
- Where in South Ari Atoll is Dhigurah?
- How do you get to South Ari Atoll from Malé?
- What is Dhigurah like as an island?
- Can you snorkel from the beach in South Ari Atoll?
- South Ari Atoll snorkeling: where do you go by boat?
- South Ari Atoll whale shark season: when can you see them?
- South Ari Marine Protected Area: what rules apply at the whale shark?
- When is the best time to travel to South Ari Atoll?
- What does a stay in South Ari Atoll cost?
- Can you go to South Ari Atoll with children?
- My conclusion
- Frequently asked questions
- Further reading
Where in South Ari Atoll is Dhigurah?
Dhigurah lies at the end of the whale shark protected area. The area stretches from the island of Rangali to the northern tip of Dhigurah’s reef and has been protected since 2009. Our whale shark tour started on Dhigurah. Maamigili, an island in the same atoll, has an airport with domestic flights from Malé.
How do you get to South Ari Atoll from Malé?
We took the speedboat from Malé, and for Dhigurah that is the direct way. For two adults and our son we paid 204.75 US dollars together, booked through a portal. Booked through the accommodation, speedboats cost on average about ten US dollars less per person, and how that works is in the article about island hopping on your own. The operators state two and a half hours for the route. We were a little faster, but the time depends on the weather and the swell.
The waves were high. What helped one fellow passenger against seasickness: regularly splashing cold water on her face, fresh air and looking into the distance. We were fine, and our son fell asleep on the way.
On September 24, 2026, a fare for the domestic flight to Maamigili could not be found on the airlines’ websites. So far no state RTL fast ferry runs between the islands of the atoll, unlike in Baa Atoll.
What is Dhigurah like as an island?
An island for relaxing, sunbathing and playing. A very long sandbank stretches from the end of the island into the turquoise-blue water, and you can get there on foot, even at high tide. Under the palm trees there is shade everywhere. Anyone may use the loungers and swings, and we always found a free spot.
In the inhabited part there are some restaurants and shops, with local food and western food. For swimming in swimwear there is a separate section of beach for tourists, the Bikini Beach. That’s how it is on every inhabited island we know.
Can you snorkel from the beach in South Ari Atoll?
On Dhigurah it was difficult for us. From the Bikini Beach you can’t easily get to a good reef. On the second day we snorkeled at a few small reefs in front of the beach, in a fog of white sand, and visibility stayed poor. The time of day made hardly any difference. It was because of the strong waves, and why waves make visibility so much worse is explained in the article about poor visibility when snorkeling. We didn’t try the locals’ side of the beach.
At the sandbank, only seagrass grew on the east side, with the first sea urchins lying in it. Even in the morning, visibility there didn’t get better. If you mainly want to snorkel from the beach, you’ll find that easier on other islands of the Maldives. On Rasdhoo, for example, you reach the reef edge on foot; on Dhigurah you go out to the reefs by boat.
South Ari Atoll snorkeling: where do you go by boat?
The sun was shining on the day of the whale shark tour, and at the whale shark spot as well as at the reef afterwards the water was clear. After the whale shark we went to Bodufinolhu Thila. Only our boat was there. At the whale shark there had been about ten boats; here we were about ten people. For half an hour we let ourselves drift with the current. We saw a whitetip and a blacktip reef shark, both very small, and a turtle as well. It was calm; nothing was hectic.
The next day, after the sandbank, we went by boat to Turtle Reef near Dhigurah. Visibility there was worse than at the thila. We saw lots of colorful fish and, that day, no turtle. At high tide the edge of the reef was already five to eight meters deep, and anyone who wanted to see something on the reef would have had to dive down deeper.
South Ari Atoll whale shark season: when can you see them?
All year round. The whale sharks live in the protected area, and most sightings are young males. The area is considered a kind of nursery: from about eight meters in length, the animals are no longer seen there.
Still, there is no guarantee. On Monday and Tuesday no operator had seen a whale shark. The boats learn from each other over the radio where one shows up. When one was reported on Wednesday, we took the chance for the next day.
The ride to the whale shark took about an hour. The swell was fairly strong, and on the horizon there were already about ten boats. I tell about the crowding around the animal in the article about the whale shark tour from Dhigurah. Our whale shark was an estimated five meters long, so still a young animal.
South Ari Marine Protected Area: what rules apply at the whale shark?
According to Visit Maldives (press release of October 13, 2024), a nationwide regulation protecting whale sharks applies in the Maldives. According to the exam material for guides, rangers monitor the protected area. The most important rules for snorkelers:
- at least three meters of distance from the body, four meters from the tail
- don’t touch, approach calmly from the side
On top of that there is a contact zone of 250 meters around the animal.
On boats and people in the water, the sources disagree. That is why I give no number for them. The information is current as of October 30, 2026; a lot may have changed on site. Ask the operator about the current rules. On our tour, the first call was: get ready, mask on, fins on. Only then did we go into the water. Always jump only when the crew says so.
For the reef, the same applies as everywhere: touch nothing and keep your distance. Corals grow over many years and break from a single kick of a fin. And anyone who props themselves up on the reef can easily grab a fire coral, which stings, or a lionfish, which stings too.
When is the best time to travel to South Ari Atoll?
For whale sharks any time is possible, for the weather it isn’t. The Maldives weather service names January to March as the dry season and mid-May to November as the wet season. Rain then usually falls as showers with sunshine in between. For us it rained heavily on the morning of August 5, then it stayed dry for six hours. The water was 28 °C. The waves were consistently high in the first days.
Mantas, according to the Maldives Manta Conservation Programme, come mainly from December to April to a cleaning station near Rangali. Acquaintances of ours saw two mantas while snorkeling on a manta tour from Dhigurah.
What does a stay in South Ari Atoll cost?
| Item | What it costs |
|---|---|
| Speedboat Malé → Dhigurah | 204.75 US dollars for two adults and one child (through a portal, August 2026) |
| Accommodation on Dhigurah | about 350 euros for four nights, two adults and one child (August 2026) |
| Whale shark tour | 90 US dollars for adults, 45 US dollars for children under 12 (August 2026) |
| Entry fee whale shark protected area | currently none (as of May 2025) |
The cost of accommodation varies considerably depending on season and occupancy. Ask about the excursion prices before booking.
Can you go to South Ari Atoll with children?
Yes. On the whale shark tour there were life jackets ready for children, and adults could take one too. At the whale shark, our son was only in the water at the beginning, because it got very crowded around the animal. More about children on the islands is in the article Maldives with kids. On the first day, the waves at the beach were too rough for him to snorkel.
Later I played with him in the waves and in the shallow water. I really enjoyed that.
Pack mosquito protection: mosquito spray and something for after the bite. On our trip, scratched-open bites kept our son out of the water more than once, because the salt water stung. Just a few meters away from the trees, you usually get bitten far less.
My conclusion
You can’t plan the whale shark. We were lucky. Bring a few extra nights, then no single day decides whether you see it. The days in between belong to the sandbank.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a public ferry to South Ari Atoll?
So far no state fast ferry runs there. Travel blogs describe a slow public ferry with changes that doesn’t run on Fridays; an official schedule for it could not be accessed on September 24, 2026. We took the speedboat.
Is there an entry fee for the whale shark protected area?
Not at the moment, according to the protected area’s documents from May 2025. In Hanifaru Bay in Baa Atoll, by contrast, everyone in the water pays a fee.
Can you snorkel from the beach on Dhigurah?
From the Bikini Beach it was difficult for us: no easy way to the reef, and the waves stirred up sand. The reefs from the boat had much better visibility.
Do you see mantas in South Ari Atoll?
Yes, at a cleaning station near Rangali, mainly from December to April. Acquaintances of ours saw two mantas on a manta tour from Dhigurah.
Where the information comes from: The whale shark rules from the Visit Maldives press release “The Maldives Takes Significant New Step to Enhance Conservation of Whale Sharks With National Regulation” of October 13, 2024 (accessed on October 30, 2026). Limits and fee of the protected area from the exam material for guides in the South Ari Marine Protected Area (version 2, May 2025) and from the government’s protected areas portal, the seasons from the Maldives weather service, the mantas from the Maldives Manta Conservation Programme, the ferry status from the RTL ferry’s booking system. Accessed on September 24, 2026. Everything experienced is from our trip in August 2026.
Further reading
- Dhigurah island page: the individual spots of the island, including visibility
- Maldives destination guide: all the islands we have been to so far
- Sharks in the Maldives: more about the small reef sharks from Bodufinolhu Thila
- Comparison of the local islands: where on other islands like Rasdhoo you can get from the beach to the reef
- Guide to Baa Atoll: the atoll with the state RTL fast ferry
- Hanifaru Bay: the mantas in Baa Atoll, where the protected area charges an entry fee
- Rainy season and dry season compared: how the seasons differ otherwise
- Our snorkeling gear: what we bring for snorkeling