Raa Atoll lies in the north of the Maldives and is well-known for the excellent scuba diving it offers – there’s an abundance of life, colour, iconic bucket-list must-see marine creatures – including sharks, mantas (appearing during the entire year!), turtles, and dive sites without many divers – what more could a diver wish for?

The underwater landscape of Raa Atoll is characterised by a high number of thilas scattered inside the lagoons – these underwater coral mountains are magnets for marine life including huge schools of tropical reef fish and turtles. A generous splash of colour is provided by the vibrant swaying soft corals, sponges, and elaborate sea fans where, if you look carefully, you might be able to spot delicate nudibranchs, crustaceans, and octopus.

The numerous caves and overhangs are just waiting to be explored, with soldierfish and squirrelfish, and even Napoleon wrasse seeking shelter in these shady realms. Where the reefs meet the sandy atoll floor, it may seem devoid of life at first glance, but many weird and wonderful creatures may be found resting here including varieties of stingrays, bearded scorpionfish, and whole fields of garden eels, eagle rays shuffle their noses through the sand to find tasty morsels here too. Excitement is often provided by the drop offs and channels where everything and anything is possible, it’s where the open ocean meets the inner atolls and is the realm of the pelagics.

Both Euro-Divers’ dive shops at Alila Kothaifaru and Dhigali Maldives have Raa Atoll’s wonderful diving right at their doorsteps – literally, the house reefs alone could keep divers and snorkelers happy for numerous adventures, although our team will want to show you more!

Come and see for yourself why Raa Atoll is so special and yet retains its ‘off the beaten track’ feel, you won’t be diving on crowded sites, unless you count the fish as crowds!