Tiger Shark Residence

Tiger Shark Residence is located on the island of Fuvahmulah, in the Deep South of the Maldives. It is a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve, famed as The Shark Capital of Asia. It is surrounded by the deep oceanic waters of the Indian Ocean, attracting a great diversity of sharks and pelagic life all year around. Over 300 tiger sharks have been identified here, making it one of the best places in the world to dive with these awesome creatures. But there are plenty of other headline marine animals - thresher sharks, hammerheads, silvertips, grey and whitetip reef sharks, whale sharks, oceanic mantas, and mola mola are all regularly spotted here too.

The Tiger Shark Residence is the only dedicated dive resort on the island, The operator is able to provide a One-Stop service including in-house dive centre, accommodation, food, transfers and flights. The resort provides a relaxing holiday vibe in which divers can enjoy and have fun on their trip. Divers need not be concerned about the availability of third parties such as at guest houses etc.

The dive centre offers 3 boat dives per day in the waters surrounding Fuvahmulah and provides safe and high-quality diving services to guests. It has the largest dive boat on this island. This is useful feature since the oceanic waves can sometimes be big and the larger size of the boat makes it more stable and comfortable at sea. Nitrox is available and there are emergency facilities on the boat to always ensure diver safety.

Packages include diving and resort accommodation on a bed, breakfast and lunch basis. Guests are housed at the resort which has a swimming pool, lobby, dining and lounge area, and offers free wi-fi. Air-conditioning and overhead fans, hot and cold water bathrooms, have been installed in the guest rooms to ensure comfortable living conditions in the warm Maldivian climate. The restaurant provides a variety of international and Asian buffet cuisine to cater to the diverse tastes of all guests. There are seafood feasts of grouper, parrotfish, lobster, and more; as well as romantic beachside barbecues, Chinese hot pot, Western-style buffets, and Indian cuisine.

Other than scuba diving, Fuvahmulah is renowned as a popular spot for surfers of all levels. There is a white sandy beach nearby, and inland lakes where many species of birds, plants and fish can be observed from paddleboards or kayaks. Big game fishing is another popular attraction. The resort offers a sunset cruise, electric cars and off-road bicycle rentals.

Tiger Shark Residence has 10 rooms, 4 with double beds and 6 with twin/double bed convertibles. All rooms are air-conditioned, with an en-suite bathroom, and offer free wifi, breakfast and lunch. The resort is 10 minutes from the airport, harbour and beach, and a 5 minute walk from a local convenience store and restaurant .

All the rooms have:

The dive school offers 3 boat dives per day all year round at the 18 named sites, including one tiger shark dive at Tiger Zoo. Since the construction of the harbour in 2004, fishermen have discarded fish waste in the surrounding waters, attracting a healthy population of curious tiger sharks that come up to feed. At peak activity there are up to 5-10 individual sharks. The area is also active with groups of silvertip reef sharks, giant trevallies, and a multitude of different species. Divers will have a detailed safety briefing on shark behaviour, group conduct and emergency procedures prior to the dive. The shark encounters are extremely close, making this a thrilling adrenaline dive.

There are 2 morning dives and an afternoon dive. A typical dive day begins at 7:30 am with a pick up from the resort to the harbour. There will be Dive 1, then the tiger shark dive at 10:30 am. At 12 noon it's time for a break and a transfer back to the resort for lunch. At 1:30 pm, divers depart again for Dive 3. Scuba activities are finished by 3 pm, then guests can relax by the pool or enjoy other activities.

All dives are briefed and guided by their professional dive leaders to ensure maximum enjoyment and safety. Dive sites are chosen daily by the instructors, depending on the level of experience and the weather conditions. The dive team, along with the boat crew, are well trained with more than 10 years of experience and knowledge, in and out of the water. The Tiger Shark Residence team are also trained for the types of dives that are made in Fuvahmulah, which are not like anywhere else in the Maldives.

The PADI 5-Star Dive Center has a 2.5-metre deep pool is suitable for scuba diving certifications. The pool area also has a sun terrace, chill out area, and karaoke bar. There is an office/shop, classroom, compressor room with 4 Bauer compressors, wet area, and an equipment room. There are 2 fibreglass dhoni dive boats, one of which at 20m and a capacity of 24 passengers, is the largest and most stable on the island. It is equipped with a waterslide and trampoline for guest entertainment between dives. Its matted upper deck is where guests can enjoy the sunshine. Safety features include GPS, life vests, medical oxygen and a first aid kit. Towels and fresh drinking water are provided. Dive staff will rinse guest scuba gear after each day.

Note: There are a variety of sites in Fuvahmulah that are suitable for different diver experience levels. The tiger shark dive is a very easy and shallow stie. There are also sites that require more experience, like searching for hammerheads at around 35m in the deep blue. The first dive day will include a check diver to assess each diver's ability level, and then sites will be selected accordingly.

Guests can take a variety of PADI dive courses on request, ranging from Discover Scuba Diving to Divemaster.

Customer reviews:

"1. Hotel: really bad experience. Room is very simple (as expected) with cockroaches in the bathroom. Air conditioning very very noisy. Water smelling very bad. Food not good and in low quantity - even at breakfast, and very expensive if you stay for dinner. I do not recommend this hotel.
2. Scuba diving boat: boat well equipped, nice staff, knowing well the different sites. Always ready to help and advice. I recommend the boat and dives.

[Operator comments: "The room he stayed in has an open-air bathroom, and next door is the original forest. Although we do daily pest control, the bathroom will inevitably have insects. His room has hosted many guests and no one has ever complained that the air conditioning is too noisy. After his complaint, our butler found a maintenance master to help him solve the problem in the middle of the night. In order to make him feel better, our chef specially made a baguette for him. We are a diving resort and, although we are not a luxury hotel, we strive to make every guest happy. The unpleasant taste of the water is because the island is very primitive and uses filtered underground water. It contains a high amount of sulphur hence it has a taste. I think this guest’s requirements may only be suitable for a luxury resort but of course, I am sorry for the negative impact and we will try to improve and strive for better service."] " - Alain de Lambilly, France, 13 April 2024 ...