Whale and Dolphin Watching

The Maldives ranks amongst the top five places on Earth for watching whales and dolphins.

Over 20 different species (a quarter of the world's total) call the Maldives home. These range from the mighty Blue Whale (the largest animal alive) to the diminutive but highly acrobatic Spinner Dolphin.

Spinner Dolphins are the commonest species in The Maldives they occur in tens of thousands. They have a regular daily routine to their lives, feeding offshore at night, coming into the atolls in the early morning and leaving again for the open ocean in the late afternoon. This dependable schedule means that it is very easy to find Spinner Dolphins at certain times every day, as a result many Maldivian resorts offer morning or afternoon dolphin excursions to see Spinners. While nothing with wildlife can be absolutely guaranteed, you will never have a better chance to watch wild dolphins playing in their natural environment.

Whales regularly seen on special whale watching safaris include the Blue Whale, Sperm Whale and Pilot Whale as well as seven different types of dolphin - Spinner, Bottlenose, Risso's, Spotted, Striped, Fraser's and Rough-toothed.

Species unique to The Maldives and frequently seen include the Dwarf Sperm Whale, the Melon-headed Whale and the Tropical Bottlenose Whale (long considered the rarest whale in the World, but now known to be a Maldives resident). You may also be lucky enough to spot a pod of magnificent Killer Whales (Orcas), which contrary to popular belief do not live only in cold waters.

The unbeatable diversity and abundance of whales and dolphins makes The Maldives one of the very best places in the world for whale and dolphin watching.