ZuBlu is Asia’s leading dive travel company
Book your next
scuba diving holiday

Have you dived with Fuvahmulah’s tiger sharks in the last five years? If so, Fuvahmulah Dive School needs your help. Read on to find out why.

Lying closer to the equator than any other Maldivian island or atoll, Fuvahmulah is home to a unique natural environment both above and below the waves, earning it the nickname “the Galapagos of the Maldives”.

The atoll’s biggest draw is a dive site known as Tiger Zoo - the only one in Asia that guarantees daily tiger shark sightings. Other iconic marine life that can be encountered here includes hammerhead sharks, thresher sharks, oceanic manta rays, and the occasional mola mola.

Fuvahmulah Atoll from above
Fuvahmulah Atoll from above

Fuvahmulah Dive School was the first professional diving school based on the island to offer tiger shark encounters in a safe and responsible manner. The dive centre’s team of professionals have all logged thousands of dives exploring and researching this atoll’s unique underwater environment and all dive guides hold Shark Speciality and Shark Expert certifications - as well as expert knowledge about local conditions.

For almost six years, Fuvahmulah Dive School has been monitoring the local tiger shark population, identifying more than 200 individuals and revealing exciting facts about their pregnancy, healing abilities, and social communication. Currently, the team are in the process of analysing this data and preparing papers for the first official study of Fuvahmulah’s tiger sharks, with the hope of determining their population structure, residency, and abundance. And they need your help.

Fuvahmulah Dive School are calling on divers to share footage of the atoll's tiger sharks
Fuvahmulah Dive School are calling on divers to share footage of the atoll's tiger sharks

The team are calling on divers who have visited Fuvahmulah in recent years to share suitable footage of the tiger sharks. Of particular interest are any photos and videos from December 2016 onwards, ideally with the shark patterns visible and with a reliable date, time and location. And, of course, any additional information from your logbook could also be very helpful. None of the pictures or videos will be used commercially and it will only be used to identify tiger sharks.

Footage can be easily shared via dropbox, google drive, gmail or wetransfer to [email protected]. And, if you would like to have an update about the final study and its findings, just let the team know.

What they need: Date, time, location (e.g. Tiger Zoo, Plateau)

Article written by
Adam Broadbent
Co-founder, dive travel expert

Adam spent over 3 years in the Maldives working as an underwater cameraman at luxury resorts including the Four Seasons, and is the author of ‘Maldives: The Underwater Kingdom’. He is our in-house expert at finding the perfect house reef, the right time of year to dive with manta rays, and the best sunset from an overwater villa.

You may also be interested by

A guide to diving in Fuvahmulah

Looking for the pelagic encounter of a lifetime? Fuvahmulah is guaranteed to impress, as no other place in the Maldives offers divers the chance to encounter seven types of sharks in a single day. And, lucky visitors can also bump into mola molas, pilot whales and congregations of oceanic mantas, as well as schools of barracuda, yellowfin tuna, bonitos, sailfish, and much, much more… Our team of dive travel connoisseurs have extensive first-hand experience in this remarkable atoll, giving them invaluable insights into the local dive sites, marine life, and operators. In this article, we’ve combined the knowledge of our in-house team with the unparalleled expertise of Fuvahmulah Dive School – the first professional dive school on the island – allowing you to discover all you need to know about Fuvahmulah before booking your dive trip.

Addu and Fuvahmulah declared UNESCO biosphere reserves

While 2020 has been a challenging year for most people, it’s provided some welcome relief for the world's oceans. For months, incredible stories have been pouring in from around the globe, with marine wildlife bouncing back at a surprising rate - free from human disturbances and interaction. And now, there's even more good news!

Sharks critical to restoring damaged ecosystems

According to The Guardian, a new study has found evidence to suggest the absence of sharks can worsen the effects of extreme climate damage.

Best places to dive with sharks in the Maldives

The Maldives is famed for its tranquil tropical setting and spectacular resorts, but below the waves awaits a very different experience. The beautiful atolls provide a refuge for a variety of marine life, with current-swept channels and isolated reefs filled with pelagic species – including numerous shark species. And, while sharks are common throughout this incredible diving destination, there are several atolls and stand-out dive sites which are not to be missed by any shark diving enthusiast. Boasting extensive first-hand experience of exploring the Maldives, our dive travel experts have highlighted the very best atolls, sites and seasons for shark diving in the Maldives. Keep reading to learn more.