Fuvahmulah Dives with Tiger Sharks
Tiger Sharks, locally known as “femunu miyaru” is a species of requiem shark and a macropredator worthy of their namesake. The most distinctive feature of the sharks are the dark stripes or spots on juveniles, resembling tiger stripes. These markings tend to fade away as the sharks mature. Tiger sharks can grow up to 5 meters in length and up to 900 kilograms in weight. Their teeth are distinct, razor sharp with pronounced serrations and sideways-pointing tips.
Scuba Diving in Maldives with Tiger Sharks
There have been occasional sightings of tiger sharks across some atoll in the Maldives. However, it is only Fuvahmulah that guarantees encounters throughout the year when tiger shark diving in Maldives. The unique geography of Fuvahmulah without other land masses nearby produces distinctive ocean current patterns around the island. As a result, this makes it a cleaning station and nursery for a panoply of marine life, including tiger sharks. Although we don’t have an exact figure, Fuvahmulah has over 200 individuals identified at this point.
Tiger sharks are voracious indiscriminate predators, feeding on all kinds of fish, marine mammals, turtles, sea birds and sea snakes. Their diet includes cephalopods, mollusks, crustaceans, as well as carrion, earning the name – garbage bins of the ocean. The local Dhivehi name for the Tiger shark “femunu” is also a reference to the insatiable appetite of the shark.
Tiger sharks have a reputation for being aggressive man eaters. They are the second most dangerous shark in the world, after the Great White sharks. But there has been no recorded incidents of any shark attacks in the Maldives in history. Tiger sharks are naturally curious and may be drawn towards divers. It’s an exhilarating shark diving Fuvahmulah experience as long as divers remain respectful during any shark diving in Maldives and provoke or don’t intrude into their territory.
Here’s a quick guide to our Fuvahmulah diving sites.
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