Gili Lankanfushi, the pioneer of sustainable, barefoot luxury in the Maldives, has revealed its most awe-inspiring underwater adventures, available year-round at the castaway-chic eco-resort.

Home to a pristine reef teeming with rare aquatic species, rays, reef sharks and turtles, Gili Lankanfushi provides some of the most unspoilt diving and snorkelling opportunities in the Maldives, with the opportunity to achieve a range of PADI certifications including the PADI Bubblemaker course for the youngest of aquatic adventurers. For the more eco-minded, the chance to participate in Gili’s Coral Lines sustainability initiative awaits, while surfing, paddle-boarding, boat trips and a variety of other watersports provide endless fun above water.

Gili Lankanfushi’s underwater adventures include:

Scuba Diving

Set within a stunning house reef and located just moments away from some of the country’s most renowned dive sites, Gili Lankanfushi provides an unrivalled opportunity to delve into the underwater world. The resort’s PADI-certified Ocean Paradise Dive Centre, with its multilingual instructors and state of the art equipment, caters to divers of all abilities, offering a variety of diving experiences as well as the chance to complete a range of bucket-list PADI certifications.

Divers can take their underwater passion to new depths and discover North Male’s top five most famous dive sites – HP Reef, Okobe Thila, Nassimo Thila, Banana Reef and Lankan Finolhu Manta Point – encountering vibrant corals, schools of shimmering fish and majestic manta rays as they go.

Certified Open Water and Advanced Open Water divers can explore to their heart’s content, with Gili’s thrice-daily diving boat trips, where guests can dive up to a maximum of 20m (Open Water) or 30m (Advanced Open Water) and uncover the hidden marine life treasures that call the deepest of waters home.

Water babies aged eight and up can dip their fin into the world of scuba with the PADI Bubblemaker experience, where a PADI pro will guide them to take their first breaths underwater within shallow, safe and fully supervised waters – igniting what is sure to become a lifelong passion for the sport.

Snorkelling

For those who prefer a more gentle approach to sea life-spotting, snorkelling around Gili’s house reef can’t be beaten. Here, guests need simply slip on a snorkelling mask and a pair of fins and head straight to the 15-metre drop-off zone at the edge of the reef, where they will discover vivid coral walls inhabited by small sharks and colourful schools of fish, turtles and rays. Guests can choose to go it alone or be led by the island’s resident marine biologist, who will help them identify the array of aquatic life on guided trips, departing day and night.

Further afield, the team can arrange boat rides to a range of world-renowned snorkelling sites within striking distance of the island, where snorkellers can spot larger species including manta rays and sharks, with the itinerary tailored to individual ability.

Watersports and Excursions

Beyond diving and snorkelling, an endless choice of watersports and aquatic excursions await at Gili Lankanfushi. Those wishing to upskill in the water will revel in the opportunity to partake in lessons in paddle boarding, windsurfing, wakeboarding, catamaran sailing and water-skiing, accompanied by the island’s most experienced pros, or simply hire the equipment of their choice and take to the seas solo.

Above deck, a series of unforgettable group and private boating excursions can be arranged, from dolphin cruises, sunset fishing trips and romantic champagne voyages à deux to local island visits to soak up an authentic slice of Maldivian life.

If surfing is more one’s thing, Gili Lankanfushi’s world-class Tropicsurf instructors are on island 24/7, ready to help guests realise their surfing ambitions. Before heading out to the ocean, instructors will discuss the client’s current skill level and goals – whether they want to simply stand on the board or hang-ten, waft and reverse like Kelly Slater – creating a programme that is completely bespoke.

Coral Lines Project

Sustainability is at the heart of Gili Lankanfushi’s vision, with an emphasis on preserving the natural environment, protecting the fragile marine ecosystem and leaving only footprints behind. Thanks to the island’s Coral Lines project, guests can now get involved in the island’s sustainability initiatives during their stay.

The Coral Lines project provides a nursery environment for new corals to grow, bolstering the house reef and monitoring health and survival types across coral genotypes. Guests can participate in the famed conservation project, where they will learn about coral reef restoration and rehabilitation, visit the nursing coral on ropes and can even adopt a coral.

Conservation is taken seriously at Gili Lankansushi, with the island regularly hosting visiting scientists and academics studying the coral reef ecosystem. The island’s dedicated marine biology team monitor the health and biodiversity of the surrounding coral reef ecosystems, measuring light intensity and sea surface temperature, identifying and tracking manta ray and turtle populations, removing invasive Crown of Thorns starfish, and educating guests about the underwater world through lectures and guided snorkelling trips.

Gili Lankanfushi enjoys an unspoilt island location in the Maldives’ North Malé Atoll, just 20 minutes by speedboat from Malé Airport. Perfectly suited for couples, families, solo travellers and groups alike, the resort combines rustic eco-design, unparalleled service and stunning natural scenery with a laid-back-luxury, ‘no news, no shoes’ philosophy.

Nightly rates at Gili Lankanfushi start from £1,070/$1,440, based on two adults sharing a Villa with breakfast included. For more information or to book please visit www.gili-lankanfushi.com.