Nurse Sharks, Stingrays, Sandbank and Dolphins Day Trip, Maafushi

Maafushi, the local island where the day begins

Maafushi sits in Kaafu Atoll, about half an hour south of Malé by speedboat, and it is the island that made the Maldives affordable. Guesthouses, cafés, a public beach and a lively jetty replaced the old quiet fishing village, and today most Maafushi excursions start from the harbour on Roashanee Hingun Road. If you are wondering how to get to Maafushi, the scheduled speedboats and the public ferry from Malé both land at the same jetty where our trip departs.

The day starts early, between six and seven in the morning, because the sea is at its calmest and the light underwater is at its best before midday. We send you the exact meeting spot and time the evening before. You simply walk to the jetty with your swimwear, hat and sunscreen; the crew hands out masks, snorkels, fins and towels on board and the speedboat heads south across the lagoon.

Nurse Shark Point: swim with nurse sharks in the Maldives

About forty-five minutes south of Maafushi, towards the sandbanks near Dhiggiri, lies the shark point that has made 'swim with nurse sharks Maldives' one of the most searched phrases about the atolls. Tawny nurse sharks are slow, bottom-dwelling fish that rest on the sand in a few metres of water and glide calmly between the swimmers. They have tiny teeth built for crushing crabs and molluscs, ignore people and are considered harmless; the guide shows you how to float quietly above them without touching, chasing or feeding anything.

You spend around two hours here, the longest stop of the day, so there is time to get used to the mask, to float over the sharks several times and to watch the reef fish that share the sandy shallows. The guide shoots your underwater photos and videos while you snorkel, and if you want drone footage of the moment it can be added as an optional extra on the day. Life jackets and fins make it easy for weak swimmers.

Dhiggiri Sandbank: stingrays, lunch and the photo of your trip

A short fifteen-minute hop brings the speedboat to a crescent of blinding white sand surrounded by turquoise water on every side. This is the classic Maldives sandbank picture, and it is also where the stingrays come. In the clear ankle-deep shallows you wade slowly while spotted and pink whiprays glide around your feet looking for small prey in the sand. Nobody feeds or handles them; you stand still, they pass by, and the guide takes the pictures.

You have about an hour here for lunch, swimming and free time. The packed lunch is eaten on the sand, with bottled water from the boat, and the rest of the stop is yours for photos and a swim in water that is rarely more than waist-deep. Bring sunglasses and a hat: there is no shade on a sandbank, and the reflection off the sand is strong even on a cloudy day. For many guests this is the best part of any Maafushi day trip.

Dolphin Lagoon: dolphins in their natural habitat

The last stop, twenty-five minutes further on, is a lagoon beside a channel where pods of spinner and bottlenose dolphins pass through in their natural habitat. The crew scans the surface for fins and the speedboat approaches gently so the pod keeps its course. Spinner dolphins are famous for leaping and twisting clear of the water, and watching a large pod move past the bow is often the highlight of the whole excursion.

If the dolphins are inside the lagoon and conditions allow, you may enter the water and watch them pass from a respectful distance; otherwise you swim and snorkel in the lagoon while the pod is watched from the boat. Dolphins are wild and are never touched, fed or chased, and sightings cannot be guaranteed. About an hour is spent here before the final twenty-five-minute ride back to the Maafushi pier, where you arrive between one and two in the afternoon.

Kaafu Atoll by speedboat and how the day fits together

Kaafu Atoll is the ring of reefs and islands that surrounds Malé, and the southern part around Maafushi, Gulhi and Guraidhoo holds the sandbanks, shark points and dolphin channels used by every local-island excursion. Travelling by speedboat lets you cover the shark point, the sandbank and the dolphin lagoon in a single morning, with the longest crossing under an hour and the rest in short hops across sheltered lagoon water.

The best time to visit Maafushi for sea excursions is the dry season from November to April, when the sea is glassy and visibility is at its best; trips run all year, but in the south-west monsoon months the crew may adjust the route or the timing to the conditions. Timings are flexible by nature: departure may shift a little depending on the number of guests and the sea, and the return can be earlier. If rough seas force a cancellation, we reschedule for the following day where possible.