On 24th July, Dhawa Ihuru will welcome ocean enthusiasts, divers, and cultural travellers to its annual Rannamaari Dive Fest, commemorating 26 years since the Rannamaari Shipwreck became a part of the island’s renowned house reef.

Located just 25 minutes from Velana International Airport by complimentary speedboat, Dhawa Ihuru offers a bold yet relaxed island escape, encircled by one of the Maldives’ most vibrant house reefs. Recognised as one of the Best House Reefs in the Maldives by the Travel + Leisure Asia Luxury Awards 2025 and certified as a PADI 5-Star Dive Resort, the property blends all-inclusive comfort, contemporary design, and genuine hospitality—making it an ideal destination for divers and reef lovers alike.

Situated on the edge of the house reef, the Rannamaari Shipwreck is a sunken dredger that has evolved into a thriving artificial reef since 1999. Now home to nurse sharks, batfish, coral, and a wealth of marine life, it stands as both a celebrated dive site and a symbol of reef restoration.

As part of this year’s festivities, guests will be invited to dive the Rannamaari wreck on guided explorations led by Dhawa Ihuru’s PADI Dive Instructors. The full-day celebration will also include marine conservation talks, Save the Reef educational snorkelling sessions, cultural and wellness workshops inspired by the island, culinary activities, dedicated children’s corners, and a beachfront sunset cocktail gathering.

According to Elias Pertoft, General Manager of Dhawa Ihuru and Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru, “Rannamaari Dive Fest 2025 is more than a celebration. For over two decades, our team has nurtured the reef, welcomed divers and ocean lovers from around the world, and shared the magic of this shipwreck and its transformation. As a PADI 5-Star Dive Resort, we take great pride in creating immersive experiences that are not only exciting but also educational and regenerative. We look forward to welcoming our guests—whether first-time divers or long-time ocean lovers—to be part of this continuing journey.”

Dhawa Ihuru has long held a reputation as an environmentally conscious resort, and was one of the first in the Maldives to implement electric reef methods. Its pioneering Barnacle Project—launched in November 1996—is a structure modelled on a barnacle shell, measuring approximately four metres in height and six metres in width, located at a depth of six metres. It has become an enduring symbol of the resort’s commitment to reef restoration.

Following the Barnacle Project, the resort introduced the Necklace electric reef in 1998, and the Lotus reef at its sister property Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru in 2001. Located just five minutes away by speedboat, both resorts have since expanded their coral regeneration efforts to include techniques such as micro-fragmentation, mid-water nurseries, and coral rope nurseries.

During the Rannamaari Dive Fest, guests will have the opportunity to join the Save the Reef snorkelling activity and witness ongoing marine conservation projects. Guided by resident marine biologists from the Banyan Tree Marine Laboratory, snorkellers can expect to encounter a vibrant array of marine species including blacktip reef sharks, stingrays, turtles, parrotfish, and many others.

From 24th to 31st July 2025, visitors can take advantage of exclusive Dive Centre and Water Sports offers, with up to 30% off selected experiences. Beginner divers will be able to participate in Discover Scuba Diving sessions, while certified divers can opt for 5- or 10-dive packages—each beginning with a guided exploration of the Rannamaari Shipwreck.

For those seeking year-round flexibility, the Dive More, Pay Less package offers bundled PADI dive sessions and continuing education courses, providing guests with the opportunity to explore the ocean at their own pace.

Whether embarking on their first dive or returning for another chapter in their underwater journey, Rannamaari Dive Fest 2025 offers a meaningful and memorable way to connect with the ocean, Maldivian culture, and a legacy of marine regeneration.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of PADI Women’s Dive Day, COMO Maalifushi and COMO Cocoa Island will host dedicated dive experiences in tribute to the passion, resilience, and adventurous spirit of women divers worldwide. Scheduled for Saturday, 19 July 2025, this global initiative brings together divers in a united effort to increase female participation in scuba diving, while also promoting marine conservation and inclusivity beneath the waves.

On this date, both COMO properties in the Maldives will organise specially guided dives exclusively for certified female guests. These experiences offer participants the chance to explore the region’s thriving marine ecosystems and connect with a broader movement that champions gender inclusivity and environmental stewardship in the diving community.

Situated in the unspoilt waters of the Maldives, COMO Maalifushi provides access to a range of renowned dive sites, including coral gardens and manta ray cleaning stations. These underwater landscapes are ideal for divers seeking meaningful interactions with marine life in a setting of natural splendour.

Peter Nilsson, Managing Director of COMO Hotels and Resorts in the Maldives, commented, “At COMO, we are committed to empowering women not only on land but also beneath the surface of the ocean. PADI Women’s Dive Day gives us a platform to honour values such as inclusivity, passion, and marine conservation — all of which resonate strongly with our brand ethos. We are proud to create experiences that allow our guests to forge lasting connections with the natural world in transformative and memorable ways.”

At COMO Cocoa Island, participants can expect similarly enriching experiences, with access to gentle reef slopes, crystal-clear lagoons, and a diversity of marine life. Supported by expert marine guides, the dives are designed to be both empowering and educational, fostering a deeper appreciation of the ocean’s delicate balance.

First launched in 2015, PADI Women’s Dive Day has grown into the world’s largest celebration of women in diving. This year, both COMO resorts aim to inspire a new wave of female divers while reinforcing the importance of sustainability and unity beneath the surface.

The first episode of Netflix’s new competition series All the Sharks is set in Fuvahmulah, Maldives — an island now confirmed by scientists as home to the largest documented aggregation of tiger sharks in the world.

The global series, which premiered Friday, follows four teams of marine experts racing to photograph the most shark species across six biodiverse marine locations. Its opening episode brings viewers into the waters of Fuvahmulah, a shark diving hotspot in the southern Maldives, where recent research has identified 239 individual tiger sharks over six years — more than any other single location globally.

A peer-reviewed study published earlier this year in Nature.com, led by Lennart Vossgaetter of the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research in Germany, used non-invasive photo identification to confirm Fuvahmulah’s ecological significance. Researchers found that adult female tiger sharks show strong site fidelity, remaining in the island’s warm, food-rich waters for extended periods during gestation.

The big picture: Science meets streaming in Fuvahmulah

Fuvahmulah, long renowned by divers for consistent encounters with tiger sharks, now features prominently in both marine research and global entertainment. The Netflix episode captures this extraordinary setting as part of a larger series spanning Japan, South Africa, the Galapagos, Australia and the Bahamas.

According to the study, Fuvahmulah’s waters — influenced by oceanic currents and lacking a surrounding atoll — provide ideal reproductive conditions for tiger sharks, particularly pregnant females. The research team documented the world’s highest number of individual tiger sharks identified in one confined marine area.

The scientists described Fuvahmulah as a “bright spot” for tiger shark conservation in the Indian Ocean, bolstered by the Maldives’ national shark sanctuary status.

Zoom in: A friendly global shark race

All the Sharks follows four two-person teams — Shark Docs, Gills Gone Wild, British Bait Off and Land Sharks — competing to photograph the most and rarest shark species at each location.

The series is hosted by Tom “The Blowfish” Hird, a marine biologist known for his dramatic delivery and braided pirate-style beard.

Points are awarded based on species rarity, with the season’s top team winning US$50,000 for a marine conservation charity of their choice.

Though the show leans on reality TV conventions, its content remains grounded in ocean science and conservation. Fuvahmulah’s inclusion in the series serves as both a dramatic setting and an educational entry point into the world of shark biology and environmental protection.

Details: Unregulated tourism meets scientific concern

The Nature.com study also raised concerns about the rapid growth of shark tourism in Fuvahmulah, particularly at the island’s famed “Tiger Harbour.” While tourism provides a major economic boost for the island, shark provisioning and diving currently remain unregulated, with no official national guidelines.

The researchers warned that the absence of regulation — including standardised safety measures and environmental practices — could jeopardise both shark welfare and the long-term viability of the tourism industry.

They pointed to successful models in countries like Fiji, where community-managed marine protected areas (MPAs) have been implemented to balance economic activity with ecological sustainability. The study recommended similar frameworks for the Maldives, calling for inclusive stakeholder management plans to ensure responsible ecotourism in one of the world’s most important shark sanctuaries.

Why it matters: Maldives in the global spotlight

The series premiere and the scientific findings together shine a global spotlight on the Maldives’ critical role in shark conservation. As the world celebrates 50 years since Jaws and enters another summer of shark-themed content, All the Sharks provides a rare blend of adventure, education and scientific relevance.

The show includes conservation graphics detailing the biology and threatened status of each shark species, shifting the narrative from fear to appreciation. For viewers — and for the Maldives — the message is clear: these apex predators are essential to ocean health and worthy of protection.

The bottom line: Fuvahmulah is both spectacle and sanctuary

As All the Sharks captures the thrill of underwater discovery, Fuvahmulah emerges not only as a top-tier dive destination but as one of the most ecologically important shark habitats in the world. With Netflix bringing its waters to millions of viewers and science affirming its global conservation value, the moment calls for action — to protect, to regulate and to preserve this unique corner of the Maldives for generations to come.