Maldives · Dhigurah
Swim with whale sharks in Dhigurah
- Lunch included
- Gear provided by the hotel
- Underwater GoPro photos included
- Photo and video editing
Dhigurah borders the South Ari Marine Protected Area, one of the few places in the world where whale sharks can be seen all year round. A morning at sea to swim alongside the largest fish in the ocean, with a guide from your hotel on board.
A trip set during your stay
No day to pick: you enter your stay dates, and Margaux contacts you to set the best moment with you, depending on weather and sea conditions. If no day works, you choose between a refund of the pre-booking and another sea trip.
Reserved for guests of 3 partner hotels
This trip is booked through the hotel you're staying at, so you need to stay at one of them. These hotels can only be booked on WhatsApp with Margaux, at the Lyluutravel rate, not on Booking or any other site.
The experience
Up to twelve metres long, feeding on plankton and gliding just below the surface, the whale shark is a gentle giant, and the outer reef of South Ari is one of the best places in the Maldives to meet it in the wild.
The boat cruises along the reef while the crew looks out for spotted silhouettes. As soon as a whale shark is spotted, you slip into the water with mask and snorkel to swim alongside it, keeping your distance and never touching it.
Lunch is served during the trip. The morning often ends with a swim in the turquoise lagoon before heading back to Dhigurah.
Underwater photos, taken with a GoPro during the trip, are included.
The programme
🏝 Morning departure from Dhigurah
Meet the guide from your hotel, who comes on board with you. The exact time is given the day before.
🦈 Looking for whale sharks
The boat cruises along the South Ari reef. When a whale shark is spotted, you snorkel alongside it, following the rules of the marine protected area.
🍽 Lunch on board
Lunch break during the trip, then more swims depending on sightings.
🌊 Back to Dhigurah
Back on the island at the end of the morning, after about four hours at sea.
Places visited
Departure / pick-up
Dhigurah island, set with you on WhatsApp
Return
Dhigurah island
✓ Included
- Shared boat trip
- Guide from your hotel on board
- Lunch
- Mask, snorkel, fins and towel
Not included
- Tips, optional
- Card fee on site (3.8%)
Your local guide
Margaux and Shaffan
Maldives - Dhigurah
🗣 French · English · Russian · Spanish (50%) · Dhivehi
Margaux and Shaffan are a French-Maldivian couple based on Dhigurah, in South Ari Atoll. Margaux, a Frenchwoman with a passion for the ocean, is your French-speaking guide, a certified freediver and an underwater photographer. Shaffan, a Maldivian guide born on the island, knows these waters by…
Important information
In the Maldives, the trip isn't fixed to a specific day: you enter your stay dates, and the best moment is chosen on site depending on weather, sea conditions and wildlife. Margaux contacts you to set the day with you. This sea trip is booked through the hotel you're staying at, which hands it over to an island boat and sends one of its guides on board. It is therefore reserved for guests of our 3 partner hotels on Dhigurah: Ithaa Dhigurah, Seaside Dhigurah and Sunny Stay Dhigurah. The whale shark is a wild animal: chances of seeing one are high all year round in South Ari, but a sighting can never be guaranteed. Touching it is forbidden and you must stay several metres away. You need to be able to swim. Balance paid on site: cash (€ or $, at $1 = €1) or card (+3.8% fee).
Recommendations
Mask, snorkel, fins and towel are provided by the hotel: all you need is your swimsuit. I also recommend bringing: - reef-safe sunscreen; - a UV or lycra t-shirt; - sunglasses and a hat; - a bottle of water; - seasickness medication if you're prone to it.
Cancellation terms
Pre-booking refunded if you cancel at least 48 hours before your arrival on Dhigurah. After that, it is non-refundable. If weather or sea conditions don't allow the trip during your stay, you choose between a refund of the pre-booking and another sea trip, from the "Manage my booking" link in your confirmation email.
After you book
- 1
You book online
Stay dates, option and pre-booking paid securely online. The rest is paid on site.
- 2
Immediate confirmation
An email goes out straight away with your reference, your summary and the meeting point.
- 3
Your guide contacts you
They receive your booking and set the best day of your stay with you, depending on weather and sea conditions.
- 4
What if the weather doesn't cooperate?
No suitable day during your stay: from your confirmation email, you choose between a refund and another sea trip.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there no date to choose?
In the Maldives, everything depends on weather, sea conditions and wildlife. You enter your stay dates, and the best day is chosen on site. Margaux contacts you to set it with you.
Why do I need to stay at a partner hotel?
On the island, these sea trips go through the hotel: it books the boat and sends one of its guides on board with you. No hotel yet? When booking, ask Margaux for the Lyluutravel rate at one of the three partner hotels on WhatsApp.
Am I sure to see a whale shark?
No, it's a wild animal. Chances are good all year round in South Ari, and the day of the trip is chosen during your stay to give you the best odds.
What if the trip can't happen during my stay?
Let us know from the "Manage my booking" link in your confirmation email, then choose: a refund of the pre-booking or another sea trip, with nothing more to pay.
How do I pay the balance?
On site, in cash (euros or dollars, at $1 = €1) or by card with a 3.8% fee.
How do I get my booking confirmation?
As soon as the payment goes through, a confirmation email is sent automatically. It contains your booking reference, the full summary (date, option, travellers), the meeting point and the departure time. You will also find your booking in your account. Do check your spam folder if nothing seems to arrive.
Is the provider told about my booking?
Yes, automatically. As soon as the payment goes through, the local provider is contacted directly with your whole booking: date, time, chosen option, number of travellers, your name and your pick-up point. There is nothing for you to do. Their WhatsApp is in your confirmation email, so you can write to them before the day itself.
Is paying online secure?
Yes. Payments go through Stripe, one of the most widely used payment platforms in the world. Your card details never pass through the Lyluutravel site and are never stored there. Card, Apple Pay and Google Pay are accepted.
After you book
- 1
You book online
Stay dates, option and pre-booking paid securely online. The rest is paid on site.
- 2
Immediate confirmation
An email goes out straight away with your reference, your summary and the meeting point.
- 3
Your guide contacts you
They receive your booking and set the best day of your stay with you, depending on weather and sea conditions.
- 4
What if the weather doesn't cooperate?
No suitable day during your stay: from your confirmation email, you choose between a refund and another sea trip.
A question about this excursion?
Ask a question