Dive Butler Finolhu - North Ari Atoll
Dive Butler Finolhu in North Ari Atoll gives us that classic Maldives feeling without being overly busy. They’re a PADI 5 Star centre, which means solid instruction for everything from a first-time discover scuba dive to your advanced open water. We often recommend them for divers who appreciate attentive service and aren’t looking to pack four dives into every day. The sites around Finolhu offer a good mix of channels and thilas, often with grey reef sharks patrolling and decent chances for manta rays in season. It’s a comfortable, well-run operation, perfect if you want to combine some relaxed diving with a bit of island downtime.
- Location
- North Ari Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- 5.012242, 72.953300
- Website
- https://travel.padi.com/dive-center/maldives/dive-butler-finolhu/
- Certification Agencies
- ["PADI"]
- Courses
- PADI 5 Star Dive Center [padi:25839]
- Address
- Fareedhee Magu, Maldives
Dive Sites Near Dive Butler Finolhu
Dive Butler Finolhu provides access to 15 dive sites in North Ari Atoll.
- Bathala Maaga Kan
- Bathala Tila
- Bodu Ashey
- Bodu Gah
- Cambra Beach - 18m
- Caves (cave)
- De faru
- De faru reef (reef)
- Fushi Faru - 23m (reef)
- Gangehi Kandu North - 21m (drift)
- Hafsa Thila - 15-30m (pinnacle)
- Hammerhead Point
- Hammerhead Point, Rasdhoo Atoll
- Holi Faru
- Kuramathi Caves - 24m (cave)
Other Dive Centres in North Ari Atoll
- Azure Dive and Water Sports Centre - ["PADI"]
- Bodu Manta Diving
- Coco Dive Dhuni Kolhu - ["PADI"]
- Dive Club Buoyancy - SSI
- Drop Dive Maldives - SSI
- Kuramathi Dive Club - PADI, SSI
- Maldivica Divers Thoddoo
- Murakabay Maldives - SSI
- PDH Maldives Prv Ltd - SSI, CMAS, NDL
- Underwater Institute Fulhadhoo
Best Time to Dive in North Ari Atoll
The warmest water temperatures in North Ari Atoll occur in January, averaging 28.7°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 28.7°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.7°C (air: 27.5°C)
- February: 28.7°C (air: 27.8°C)
- March: 28.7°C (air: 28.0°C)
- April: 28.7°C (air: 28.4°C)
- May: 28.7°C (air: 28.4°C)
- June: 28.7°C (air: 28.5°C)
- July: 28.7°C (air: 28.1°C)
- August: 28.7°C (air: 27.9°C)
- September: 28.7°C (air: 27.6°C)
- October: 28.7°C (air: 27.6°C)
- November: 28.7°C (air: 27.3°C)
- December: 28.7°C (air: 27.5°C)
Marine Life in North Ari Atoll
Home to 138 recorded species including 82 hard corals, 38 reef fish, 6 sea snails & nudibranchs, 3 seagrass & algae, 2 sharks & rays, 2 sea cucumbers.
Notable Marine Life
- Staghorn coral (Acropora valida) - Hard Corals
- Table coral (Acropora clathrata) - Hard Corals
- Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) - Sharks & Rays
- Staghorn coral (Acropora nasuta) - Hard Corals
- Long-beaked Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) - Whales & Dolphins
- Staghorn coral (Acropora lutkeni) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora austera) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora secale) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora acuminata) - Hard Corals
- Wrinkle coral (Coscinaraea monile) - Hard Corals
Recommended Packing List for North Ari Atoll
Based on average water temperature of 28.7°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories