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Wildlife · Country Guide

Maldives

Atoll hopping for mantas, whale sharks, and warm-water drifts

Updated Mar 4, 2026 • 17 sources

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Wildlife In Maldives

Browse the full species list linked to approved dive spots across Maldives.

Gestreifter Adlerrochen ( Pteromylaeus bovinus )
Rays

Eagle Ray

17 linked spots

Grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) Image ID: corl0207, NOAA's Coral Kingdom Collection Location: Pacific Remote Islands, Kingman Reef Photo Date: 2015 Photographer: Kevin Lino NOAA/NMFS/PIFSC/ESD
Sharks

Grey Reef Shark

Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos

12 linked spots

Sharks

Whitetip Reef Shark

Triaenodon obesus

12 linked spots

Saltwater Fishes

Tuna

11 linked spots

a fish that is swimming in the water
Saltwater Fishes

Barracuda

10 linked spots

Rays

Reef Manta Ray

Mobula alfredi

8 linked spots

brown turtle in sea
Turtles

Hawksbill Turtle

Eretmochelys imbricata

7 linked spots

Saltwater Fishes

Jackfish

7 linked spots

Molluscs

Nudibranch

6 linked spots

green and black fish in body of water
Rays

Stingrays

6 linked spots

Green sea turtle ( Chelonia mydas ), Moorea, French Polynesia
Turtles

Green Turtle

Chelonia mydas

5 linked spots

Sharks

Silvertip Shark

Carcharhinus albimarginatus

5 linked spots

Crustaceans

Shrimp

4 linked spots

gray snake photography
Rays

Moray Eel

3 linked spots

Seahorses and Pipefishes

Pipefish

3 linked spots

Saltwater Fishes

Scalloped Hammerhead

Sphyrna lewini

3 linked spots

Saltwater Fishes

Snapper

3 linked spots

a whale swimming in the ocean with a lot of fish around it
Sharks

Whale Shark

Rhincodon typus

3 linked spots

crab on rock
Crustaceans

Crab

2 linked spots

Rays

Giant Oceanic Manta Ray

Mobula birostris

2 linked spots

Saltwater Fishes

Grouper/Basslets

2 linked spots

Red lionfish (Pterois volitans) near Gilli Banta Island (near Komodo, Indonesia)
Saltwater Fishes

Lionfish

2 linked spots

gray shark in body of water
Sharks

Nurse Shark

Ginglymostoma cirratum

2 linked spots

Saltwater Fishes

Ocean Sunfish

Mola mola

2 linked spots

Sharks

Thresher Shark

2 linked spots

Sharks

Tiger Shark

Galeocerdo cuvier

2 linked spots

Saltwater Fishes

Wrasse

2 linked spots

A blacktip reef shark swims over sandy seabed.
Sharks

Blacktip Reef Shark

Carcharhinus melanopterus

1 linked spot

a close up of a sea anemone on the ocean floor
Saltwater Fishes

Frogfish

1 linked spot

Shovelnose guitarfish
Rays

Guitarfish

1 linked spot

Molluscs

Octopus

1 linked spot

a fish swimming in water
Saltwater Fishes

Parrotfish

1 linked spot

Silky shark ( Carcharhinus falciformis ) at Jardines de la Reina, Cuba
Sharks

Silky Shark

Carcharhinus falciformis

1 linked spot

Saltwater Fishes

Soldierfish

Myripristinae

1 linked spot

Saltwater Fishes

Sweetlips and Grunts

1 linked spot

Sharks

Zebra Shark

Stegostoma tigrinum

1 linked spot