Vaavu Atoll · Maldives · Night · Artificial reef
Alimatha Jetty
Hundreds of nurse sharks feeding under a resort pier at night in 3 to 5 m
Area photo: TANAKA Juuyoh (%u7530%u4E2D%u5341%u6D0B) · CC BY 2.0
A night dive under the working pier of Alimatha Aquatic Resort in 1 to 8 m of water, where the man-made reef around the pilings has become a nurse shark hotspot. Divers and snorkellers settle on the bottom at dusk as hundreds of nurse sharks feed around them; the current is minimal, the water is 28 to 30°C year-round and shore entry is possible.
Where it is and how deep
3.5905° N, 73.4985° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
This is a shallow night dive, not a drift. The site is built around a working resort pier, and the reef ecosystem that has grown up around it holds the sharks; PADI gives a depth of 1 to 8 m with an average of 3 to 5 m and describes the current as minimal to mild, calm enough that no drift is required. You enter from the shore or the boat as the light goes, settle on the bottom near the pilings and wait, because the sharks come to you.
The peak is between 17:30 and 20:00. Liveaboard.com describes hundreds of nurse sharks feeding at night, and PADI calls the pier a guaranteed nurse shark hotspot, so the dive is spent mostly stationary with a torch while the sharks work the sand and the structure around you. Visibility runs from 10 to 25 m, which PADI notes is good for night diving, and the water is 28 to 30°C year-round. With a maximum depth of 8 m, bottom time is limited by your air and your patience rather than your computer.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Dived year-round; nurse shark activity peaks between 17:30 and 20:00 on sunset and night dives.
Know before you go
- Hundreds of nurse sharks feed close around stationary divers; keep your hands in and let them pass rather than reaching out.
- This is a working resort pier: stay under the structure and surface by the shore or the dive boat as briefed.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Alimatha Jetty dive?+
Between 1 and 8 m, with an average of 3 to 5 m, which is why it works for beginners and snorkellers as well as divers.
When is the best time to dive Alimatha Jetty?+
It is dived year-round; nurse shark activity peaks between 17:30 and 20:00 on sunset and night dives.
Can beginners dive Alimatha Jetty?+
Yes. PADI rates it for all levels, beginner and snorkeller friendly, with minimal to mild current and shore entry possible.
Sources
- Alimatha Jetty Dive Site - PADI — PADI
- Diving Vaavu Atoll - Liveaboard.com — Liveaboard.com
More dive sites in Vaavu Atoll
Pinnacle
A circular giri you can swim right round, top at 1 m and coral to 20 m
Channel & pass
Schools of grey reef sharks in a channel cut with caves from 8 to 40 m
Wall
Wide soft-coral overhangs under table corals along a 4 km back reef
Channel & pass
Overhangs and cavities from 10 m to beyond 30 m on the channel's south side
Channel & pass
Sharks holding mid-channel in the drift that gave the site its name
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