Diving experiences and classes at Villa Park in the Maldives
Whale sharks, mantas, sting rays, turtles, dolphins and a myriad colourful fish await in sensational dive spots and coral reefs in the South Ari Atoll Marine Protected Area. A scuba diving or snorkelling adventure in this world-renowned site is magical for both seasoned and first-time divers, and you can easily complete one of our PADI courses with our multilingual teams at diveOceanus.
Opening hours
Dive Centre:
8:00 – 12:00
14:00 – 17:00
Contact
Tel: +960 668 0088
Email: hello@villaresorts.com
Our award-winning dive centre teams, who are passionate about marine conservation, love taking guests on exhilarating underwater dives and sharing their knowledge.
We have at least four world-famous dive sites: Whale Shark Point, Manta Point, Kuda Rah Thila and Five Rocks and the small Angaga Thila. Here’s a taste of what’s in store.
Whale Shark Point
Swimming with whale sharks is a life-changing adventure that many guests travel from far corners of the globe to experience. Villa Park is closest to Whale Shark Point, simply the best spot in the Maldives to spot this gentle giant and the world’s largest fish. The 500m outside reef of Maamigili Island is home to other large fish including tuna, barracuda, snapper, grouper and Napoleon Wrasse. Overhangs are adorned with soft coral and sharks, sting rays, eagle rays and whale sharks swim along this reef or are seen cruising 30m below on the sandy bottom.
Manta Point
Manta Point is an 800m reef, a gathering point in plankton-rich waters for large manta rays between December and April. Outside manta season, it’s a rewarding reef top with scorpion fish, moray eels, octopus and triggerfish. It’s also well known for white-tip sharks and sting rays.
Kuda Rah Thila
Kuda Rah Thila is one of the most famous dive sites known for its colourful and pretty soft corals. One the east, fan coral is spectacular and on the other side, you can swim through a coral ring. Spot yellow-striped snappers and batfish here too.
Five Rocks and Angaga Thila
Five Rocks and the small Angaga Thila, famous for its white tip and grey reef sharks, has a large variety of marine life instead of coral. Patrols of barracuda, octopus and the hard-to-spot stonefish and scorpion fish can often be found.
PADI-Certified Dive Courses
Begin your underwater journey or take the next steps at our PADI-certified dive centre.
Discover Scuba Diving course
Take your first steps into the world of scuba diving. Discover Scuba Diving covers basic techniques and skills and allows you to put them into practice in the shallow lagoon. This introductory course can be credited towards a Scuba Diver certificate or an Open Water course.
Scuba Diver course
Covering three of the five parts of the Open Water course, Scuba Diver certifies you to dive to a maximum depth of 12m (40 ft) under the supervision of PADI Dive Master, assistant instructor or instructor. Once you have completed the course, you'll also be one step further to an Open Water Diver certification.
Open Water course
The Open Water course covers more complex dives. Upon completion, you'll be permitted to dive to a depth of 18m (60 ft) under supervision. As well as performing Confined Water Dives and Open Water Dives, you'll also be required to complete several online courses.
Adventure Diver course
To become certified as an Adventure Diver, you'll need to prove that you are more competent in the water. Once you have completed three dives, all of which meet the criteria of Deep Diver, Night Diver and Underwater Navigator, you'll gain the Adventure Diver qualification.
Advanced Open Water course
Once you have gained your Adventure Diver certification, you can complete a further two adventure dives that include lower depths and navigation, and you will become a certified Advanced Open Water Diver.
Rescue Diver course
In the Rescue Diver course, you'll learn how to prevent potential problems in the water and manage them effectively, from recognizing fellow divers in distress to rescuing someone unresponsive.
Dive Master certification
A Dive Master is certified to supervise diving excursions and assist student divers. To become a Dive Master, you will work closely with a PADI instructor to expand your knowledge and skills and develop your leadership qualities.
Bubble Maker
Specially designed to teach the basics of diving and build confidence in the water, our kids' diving courses are great for little ones looking to explore the underwater world surrounding Villa Park.