Maldives: South Ari diving mid April? Dive site suggestions.

My dive buddy/wife and I just booked 5 night stay at Centara Grand Island Resort on South Ari atoll . We decided against LOB so we're doing land-based diving. Has anyone dove from this resort? Operator is Best Dives Maldives that also runs dive shops at Madoogali, Jumeirah Meradhoo, and Viceroy Maldives resorts. We picked it in hopes to see large schools of pelagic fish, rays, and possibly whale sharks. Resort is in the middle of the atoll between Mirihi Island resort and Lily Beach resort. I just have no clue how far apart these resorts really are and what South Ari dive sites are reachable.

Hiya,

The dive sites around that resort are good. Never heard of the dive operator ever in my life and I'm a Maldivian and based in the Maldives. April will be good.

Never heard of the name either but on the map it's right next to Machafushi so it's a prime spot for diving.

Maamigili is maybe 50mins by a decent dhoni (whale sharks).
Madivaru maybe a bit more than an hour and if you're going soon, you should just get the end of the season.

Eagle rays and mobulas tend to hang around the channel entrances and it's normal to pick up a couple during a drift dive, especially on an incoming current. Sometimes large groups of mobula 50-strong.

Machafushi has a wreck sitting at 30m with at least a couple of stingrays and often nurse shark on the sandy bottom. Viz can be arse though.

All in all- the area you're going to is sweet.

I know nothing of the operator though