Sharks in Maldives – Learn About the Exotic Creatures

Sharks are one of the biggest attractions in the Maldives. The allure of spotting a dangerous shark draws many enthusiastic visitors to the islands. The most common species are tiger sharks, hammerhead sharks and the oceanic white tipped sharks. Mind you all of these species are man eaters.

The tiger shark is the most dangerous and prone to attack a diver as they are frequently seen in coastal zones. Just as dangerous are the oceanic white tipped shark although these creatures prefer to stay away from coastal waters and as such are less likely to encounter. The least threatening are the hammerhead sharks; attacks by this species are few with the giant hammerhead variety being the more menacing. It is however wise to be cautious and stay away from this species as well.

Hard to come across but a treat to experience the huge whale shark is mainly spotted around the months of April to November. The largest of the shark species traversing the Maldivian waters the whale shark is totally harmless to humans. The gentle creatures favour the eastern islands and are sought out by many scuba divers. An important fact to note is that whale sharks are protected by environmental groups and extreme care should be taken when observing these creatures.

The whale shark and many other shark species in the Maldives are protected by environmental groups. It is prohibited by law to fish for or harm sharks by hunting them around most parts of the archipelago. This law was brought in as a means of protecting the species which was hunted and killed due to fear evoked by the man eaters. The fact that shark fin soup is an Asian delicacy too did not help. In order to practise safe diving and eco-friendly exploration of the waters, consider guided Maldives excursions as offered by top resorts. The South Male Atoll home to Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort is most popular for its collection of top scuba diving locations.

The above mentioned shark species are the largest you will spot around the Maldivian Islands. Dive down to the ocean depths and you will spot reef sharks that are less than a metre in length scrounging for food around the coral gardens. On the bottom of the ocean floor are angel sharks, cat sharks and hound sharks.

As sharks bring in curious tourists the locals have learnt to bait and attract the species closer to shore; this in turn enables visitors to observe the sharks from boats or glass bottomed boats without the risk of diving. The Maldives have the safest recorded history of shark attacks and is tipped to be one of the safest tropical beach resorts in the world. Maybe the beautiful coral reefs are just too shallow for large predators to swim in; either way shark attacks are to a minimum around the paradise islands.