Nestled at the North-eastern rim of the North Malé Atoll, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands is surrounded by a vibrant coral reef complemented by dive sites and sandbanks.
The resort is pleased to share a menu of immersive ocean experiences available to guests through Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment Program as well as a Fari Islands Collaboration with Frank Heidinger.
Ocean Experiences
The Maldivian seas hold such wonder, presenting unimaginable adventures for families, friends, and couples to create lasting memories. The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands has crafted journeys and ocean discoveries curated to offer the destination’s most inspiring experiences.
Guests of the resort can enjoy diving through coral-encrusted shipwreck sites, snorkeling with endangered hawksbill turtles in marine protected areas or showing off on the trendiest watersports toy, while wild dolphins pass by. For those seeking a deep ocean escape, the resort is a short speedboat ride away from the country’s beautiful dive sites, such as Helengeli Thila, featuring sea caves with a deep channel inviting larger species of fish like tunas, rays and jacks. Lankan Manta Point, located only a few meters away, attracts hundreds of mantas from August to November, presenting guests up-close encounters with these gentle giants. Guests can also explore the South Ari Atoll which is home to whale sharks, the biggest fish in the ocean.
After a day in the sea, guests can unwind at the Beach Shack by a campfire, while enjoying toasted marshmallows and listening to the legends and myths of the oceans by the resort’s Moodhu Edhuru, also referred to as a sea guru and elder with boundless wisdom of the ocean.
Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment Program
The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands recently announced their partnership with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society to bring the organization’s Ambassadors of the Environment Program to the Maldives. This partnership brings an array of exciting experiences and research opportunities to the destination as the Maldives is a rare geographical reserve, featuring roughly a thousand islands, 99% covered by the sea and distinct tropical flora and fauna.
Guests of all ages can marvel under the sea, immerse in nature and discover the wonders of the galaxy with Cousteau-trained Naturalists. While the full menu of experiences is currently under development, the below are a few select diving experiences unique to The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands. In collaboration with Dive Butler International families and children can begin their underwater journey with complimentary dive lessons. North Malé Atoll is centrally located around a number of the destination’s most beautiful dive spots including:
- Victory Wreck: The Victory Wreck is an 80-metre cargo ship sunk in 1981 near North Malé Atoll after completing a voyage from Singapore. The highest mast of the ship is a mere 15-meter dive whilst the bottom reaches to 30 meters. Home to an array of corals, large trevallies, groupers, nudibranchs, pipefish and sea turtles, the wreck is a marvelous sight.
- Lankan Manta Point: Lankan Manta point is a popular Manta cleaning station from August to November, located in Southeastern side of North Malé Atoll. Apart from these gentle giants, divers can enjoy white tip reef sharks, hawksbill turtles, eagle rays and hump head wrasses.
- Banana Reef: Shaped like its namesake, Banana Reef is a protected region with a depth of 5 to 30 meters presenting snorkelers and divers an unparalleled experience. Considered one of the oldest sites in the Maldives, Banana Reef features majestic overhangs and underwater cliffs teeming with bright corals, reef sharks and fish, rays and lobster rocks.
- Barracuda Giri or Okobe Thila: Okobe Thila or Barracuda Giri features three pinnacles or seamounts offering a spectacular experience with unique rock formations and a depth ranging from 5 to 25 meters. The pinnacles are covered with a variety of corals, sea fans as well as, colorful reef fish, sharks, Napolean wrasse and rays and a variety of species of barracudas that the site is named after.
Fari Islands Collaboration with Frank Heidinger
Halevai Founder and longtime Parley for the Oceans crew member, Frank Heidinger, is collaborating with Fari Islands to bring a disruptive creativity to the environmental awareness of guest programming within the archipelago.
In addition to the resort’s other partners, this collaboration is integral in the resort’s efforts to provide a sustainable travel experience. It aims to tackle global warming through the creation of a research and awareness hub designed to inspire travelers worldwide as well as provide a place for researchers to collaborate.
Widely considered an eco-friendly resort, mainly operating on solar energy, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives Fari Island’s partnership allows the resort to pursue its own sustainability initiatives and ensure meaningful experiences for guests.
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