A Visit to the Fuvahmulah Dive School

Maike on the Trail of a Tiger Shark Tooth

In May of this year, Maike from the Taucher.Net team visited Fuvahmulah, the Maldivian island known for its sharks, and experienced far more than just spectacular tiger shark encounters.

Report by Maike Pohl

Sometimes a journey begins many years before you pack your suitcase. Mine began at the BOOT trade show in Düsseldorf, where I meet people from across the diving industry every year through Taucher.Net. It was there, a long time ago, that I met Tatiana and Ibrahim – whom almost everyone on Fuvahmulah calls simply “Panda.” During one of our conversations, he pressed something into my hand: a tiger shark tooth. Years later, that encounter led me all the way to the Indian Ocean.

It wasn’t a souvenir from a store or a trinket from a tourist shop, but a real tooth that a shark had lost naturally. Ever since, it has been with me in my wallet as a good-luck charm. Time and again, I’d pick it up and ask myself:
Which shark did this tooth come from?
Where did this animal live?
And what does the world look like where tiger sharks actually call home?

I finally sought answers on Fuvahmulah, a small island in the southern Maldives that has cult status among divers. Here, tiger sharks are part of everyday life, schools of hammerhead sharks swim through the blue waters, and research, conservation, and dive tourism work closely together. The island impressed me more than I had expected.

The Journey to the End of the Maldives

Even before departure, it was clear just how well-organized the Fuvahmulah Dive School is. The email correspondence was friendly and prompt, and Tatiana answered many of my questions in advance. About a week before the trip began, we received detailed information on entry requirements, speedboat transfers, the island’s cultural characteristics, and recommended clothing, along with all the documents needed to register at the dive center. This allowed us to take care of many formalities before the trip.

Just how flexible the dive center is became clear the day before our arrival: A fellow traveler had to completely change his travel plans due to a train cancellation. The center quickly adjusted his speedboat ticket and accommodations. It’s precisely in situations like these that you see how reliable a team is.

We flew from Frankfurt via Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Gan, the southernmost international airport in the Maldives. After a short taxi ride to the harbor, we continued by speedboat to Fuvahmulah. Even at this point, it became clear that the island is different from many other destinations in the Maldives: It isn’t sheltered in a lagoon but juts out as a solitary island from the open ocean. The crossing started off calmly, but the farther we got from the harbor, the higher the waves became. There’s no mirror-smooth water here like you’d find in a lagoon.

When arriving or departing, you should factor in that a booked speedboat may be canceled at short notice due to rough seas or other reasons. That was the case on our return trip. Thanks to the quick action of Jeanette, the heart and soul of the dive center’s office, we secured seats on the small plane to Gan and made our connecting flight without any problems. Please note that the free baggage allowance there is limited to 20 kilograms, whereas on the larger flight to and from Gan included in our booking, it was 30 kilograms. An additional fee applies for excess baggage (about 4 euros per kilogram).

Welcome to Fuvahmulah

At the harbor, a staff member from the Fuvahmulah Dive School greeted us, loaded our luggage, and took us directly to the dive center. There, Jeanette and other staff members welcomed us. Our certifications and medical fitness were checked, and then each diver received their personal gear box. While the equipment was being prepared for the next morning, a shuttle took us to our accommodations, the Zero Degrees Guesthouse.

The Zero Degrees Guesthouse

The dive center partners with several hotels and guesthouses on the island, so you can book different accommodations depending on your budget and preferences. We chose the Zero Degrees Guesthouse based on the dive center’s recommendation and were satisfied with it throughout our entire stay. We were greeted with a fresh juice. The room was spacious, modernly furnished, and clean. The bathroom had a large rain shower, towel hooks, a hair dryer, shampoo, and shower gel.

The service was particularly impressive. The owner and his team provided quick and hassle-free assistance, whether it was a bag left behind on the shuttle, a camera left at the café, or arranging a taxi. On several occasions, problems were resolved before we’d even brought them up. We experienced this helpfulness not only at the guesthouse but all over the island.

Breakfast at Six, Diving at Seven

The daily schedule is tailored to divers. Breakfast is served starting at six. You shouldn’t expect a large buffet in a small guesthouse, but breakfast offers everything you need for a day of diving: fresh fruit, toast, jam, crêpes, small pieces of cake, cereal, coffee, tea, and freshly squeezed juices. Around 7:00 a.m., the shuttle departs for the dive center. You can pick up large beach towels for the dive boat at the guesthouse.

Even after the dives, the schedule remains flexible. If you’d like to have a milkshake at the harbor with your group after the third dive or stay longer at the dive center, you can do so by arrangement and will be brought back later.

On the last day, the dive center team thoroughly rinsed the salt out of the equipment. The boxes containing the gear were then loaded into our shuttle and taken to the guesthouse. There, staff members received them, carried them out onto the large balcony, and hung the gear up to dry.

Fuvahmulah – Different from the Maldives You Know

Anyone who thinks of the Maldives only in terms of overwater bungalows, luxury resorts, and cocktail bars will be surprised by Fuvahmulah. With a population of around 14,000, the island is one of the largest in the country. It lies just south of the equator and forms what is known as a single-island atoll. In addition to white-sand beaches, there are pebble beaches, wetlands, forests, and even freshwater lakes.

The island feels lively, authentic, and surprisingly green. People sit outside small cafés or in hammocks; groups of women are out and about together; and street vendors sell fresh fruit and juices. The pace is leisurely, without ever becoming boring.

Fuvahmulah is a local island with conservative cultural values. Tourists are welcome but should respect local customs. Those who come here experience the Maldives not as an isolated resort world, but as the everyday life of its residents.

Many visitors come primarily for the sharks. But after just a few days, it becomes clear that the island also has a lot to offer above water. The friendliness and helpfulness we experienced on land were also evident at the dive center and on the dive boat.

The Island’s First Professional Dive Center

The Fuvahmulah Dive School began operations in 2017 and, according to its own statements, was the island’s first professional dive center. It received PADI certification that same year and has been a PADI 5-Star Dive Center since 2018. Today, around 20 employees work for the center, which operates two dive boats and welcomes guests from all over the world. The center features a small shop selling shirts, rash guards, and accessories, as well as a wide range of rental equipment. Most divers use 12-liter tanks; 15-liter tanks are also available for an additional fee.

The center’s history goes back even further: In 2010, Tatiana and Ibrahim “Panda” – who are now a couple and the owners of the center – first came to Fuvahmulah on a safari boat to dive. At that time, there was no dive center, no established dive sites, and no infrastructure for dive tourists. They and their team explored, documented, and named many of the dive sites that are well-known today. Their knowledge of currents, weather conditions, seasonal characteristics, and the behavior of shark species continues to form the foundation of the dive center to this day.

There are now 14 dive centers on Fuvahmulah. The Fuvahmulah Dive School remains one of the most experienced, and in our opinion, it places more emphasis on quality than on high guest numbers.

Dining, the Island Pace, and Punctuality

Since Fuvahmulah is an alcohol-free island, the cafés serve mocktails, milkshakes, and other non-alcoholic beverages. In the evenings, you can enjoy good, relatively affordable meals at various restaurants. A burger with fries often costs around 5 to 6 euros, while other dishes cost about 10 euros, depending on the restaurant. However, it’s important to remember that the island isn’t in Europe: It may happen that the appetizer doesn’t arrive until after the main courses have already been eaten. A little patience and understanding are part of the experience.

Swimming Rules and Beach Attire

There are no traditional bikini beaches on Fuvahmulah, as it is an island primarily inhabited by locals. Men are officially not allowed to walk around shirtless and should enter the water wearing swim trunks and a T-shirt. Women are advised to wear a modest swimsuit (for example a burkini) or similarly covering swimwear. A practical option, for example, is cycling shorts paired with a longer T-shirt that covers the shoulders. These rules are easy to follow and should be observed while swimming and on the beach. European-style swimwear is permitted on the dive boat.

First Impressions on the Boat

The boats are equipped with functional amenities. On board, there is oxygen, life jackets, safety equipment, a restroom, and a freshwater shower; between dives, water dispensers, coffee, and tea are available. The captain, boat crew, and guides work together seamlessly – everyone knows their duties and pitches in – yet there’s still time for a smile and a joke. During every briefing, the guides also highlight decompression requirements and the remaining no-decompression time.

Before each dive, a guide always enters the water first to check the current conditions. Depending on the results, the planned dive site may be changed at short notice. Safety takes precedence over the daily schedule. Underwater, dives are always conducted in small groups. Often, additional guides are in the water whose sole purpose is to ensure the group’s safety and keep an eye on the surroundings – not just the divers, but also the current, open water, and potential sightings of large fish. It was striking how naturally this happens: safety isn’t constantly emphasized, but rather put into practice.

After just a few days, we felt like we were part of a community that wants its guests to have a good time while also placing great importance on safety.

The team also prioritizes safety and a smooth process during the ascent. In rough seas, the group stays underwater as long as possible until the boat is clear and can approach the group closely. The guide deploys a buoy on every dive so the boat can easily locate the group and pick them up efficiently. This way, divers don’t have to struggle with high waves at the surface for long and can board the boat quickly and safely. In extremely rough seas, the guides provide additional assistance by helping guests remove their fins while in the water so they can climb the ladder more quickly and with better control.

Due to the sometimes strong currents, it’s a good idea to bring a reef hook. You should also bring your own buoy.

After the third dive each day, the boat crew rinses the jacket, regulator, and other pieces of equipment – whether left on the tank or being prepared for the next day – with fresh water. This prevents salt crystals from forming, which could damage the material or impair functionality. Overall, equipment maintenance appeared well-organized.

Fuvahmulah – More Than Just Tiger Sharks

Most divers come for the tiger sharks, but even the first few dives showed that there’s more to see. One reason for the biodiversity is likely the nutrient-rich water masses that meet the reef edges here, as the island stands as a solitary elevation in the open ocean. Already in the first few days, we saw sea turtles, moray eels, octopuses, and many reef fish. Whitetip reef sharks appeared time and again, along with large schools of fish, nudibranchs, and many smaller marine creatures. The dives were varied and often full of surprises. Even without tiger sharks, Fuvahmulah would be a worthwhile diving destination, and based on our experience, there’s plenty to see – especially during the rainy season.

Encounters with Thresher Sharks

I was particularly delighted by the encounters with thresher sharks. With their extremely elongated caudal fins, these shy animals are among the most striking shark species. They often emerge from the blue water only for brief moments, which makes such encounters especially memorable. The Shark Research Center says it now runs dedicated projects on this species (see Part 2 of the report).

When Hammerhead Sharks Suddenly Appeared

One of the most impressive dives of the trip began unspectacularly. Already during the briefing, Panda had hinted that the chances of seeing hammerhead sharks that day were good. Underwater, we first swam for a long time through the blue water. Then, slightly below us, the first silhouettes appeared – first a few fish, then more, and finally an entire school. I estimate there were fifty to sixty hammerhead sharks in the end. Encounters like these are the reason why many divers travel far, and they make Fuvahmulah a sought-after destination for big-game diving.

Tiger Shark Teeth and Natural Tooth Replacement

Sharks constantly replace their teeth; over the course of their lives, they replace many thousands, depending on the species. They have several rows of teeth arranged one behind the other. In tiger sharks, replacement teeth lie ready behind the visible first row; in the front row, there are typically about 24 teeth in the upper jaw and 24 in the lower jaw. The teeth are subjected to heavy wear and tear, for example when sharks bite down on hard objects like rocks to check if they’re food, or when they crack hard turtle shells. If a worn-out or damaged tooth falls out, a new one moves up from the next row. That’s why tiger shark teeth are occasionally found, and a single tooth doesn’t mean the shark has been injured.

The Dive Site Everyone Is Waiting For

As impressive as the encounters with hammerhead sharks, thresher sharks, and others were, there’s this one dive site that almost every guest is especially looking forward to. The Tiger Zoo has put Fuvahmulah on the map and is discussed worldwide. Here, it became clear why so many divers return to this small island year after year.

To be continued: Part 2, coming soon, will cover the Tiger Zoo, the tiger sharks, the shark research center, the underwater cameras, personal encounters, and the trip’s conclusion.

More information:
Website Fuvahmulah Dive School

Fuvahmulah Dive School on Taucher.Net

Part-2 A Visit to the Fuvahmulah Dive School