What Is Scuba Diving?
Scuba diving—short for Self‑Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus—is a method of underwater exploration using a portable air tank and regulator system. It allows divers to breathe and move freely beneath the surface, access deeper waters, and discover marine life up close. Scuba diving offers unrivaled freedom to explore coral reefs, wrecks, and big‑fish encounters.
Why Canareef Resort Maldives Is a Diver’s Dream
Located in the southern Addu Atoll (Seenu Atoll)—one of the few Maldivian atolls untouched by the 1998 coral bleaching—Canareef Resort Maldives offers world-class diving without the luxury price tag. The resort is home to an SSI‑affiliated dive centre operated in partnership with Werner Lau / Diverland, ensuring safe, professional guided dives and training from beginner to Divemaster level.
With over 25 dive sites accessible within 5–40 minutes by boat, the range includes spectacular wall dives, vibrant coral gardens, and opportunities to spot manta rays, tiger sharks, reef sharks, turtles, batfish, barracuda, and more.
Top Dive Sites Around Addu Atoll
Here are some must‑dive spots near Canareef:
- Tigershark Point: Wall dive dropping from 5m to 35m with frequent tiger shark and other shark encounters.
- Bodu Hoholha & Kuda Hoholha: Stunning walls, caves, rich macro life, turtles, sharks, and gorgonian coral fields.
- Umara’s Place, Kuda Kandu & Kuda Kandu Corner: Drift dives with coral gardens, reef sharks, eagle rays, napoleons, and schools of pelagic fish.
- Mudakan’s Manta Point: Premier manta cleaning station with sightings of up to 30 manta rays year‑round.
- Canareef Outside: Gentle outer reef dive with reef sharks, sting rays, turtles, and colorful coral life from 3–40 m depth.
- British Loyalty Wreck Dive: WWII tanker wreck lying at a depth between 16–33 m, home to black coral and historical intrigue.
What to Expect & Dive Experience
- Dolphins, manta rays, tiger sharks, barracuda, napoleon wrasse, and turtles are regularly spotted at Addu dive sites, offering some of the richest underwater biodiversity in the Maldives.
- Addu Atoll features dramatic reef walls, large coral formations, and visibility often exceeding 30 meters during northeast monsoon season (January–March).
- Dive packages include multiple daily boat dives—one tailored for advanced divers in strong currents, another for beginners or relaxed diving.
PADI & SSI Training Opportunities
The Diverland Canareef Dive Centre is SSI‑affiliated and provides multilingual training from Discover Scuba Diver up to Divemaster certification. Nitrox fills, underwater photography gear rental, and technical courses are also available.
