418 Dive Log Australasia JUNE 2026.pdf

Fuvahmulah: Freediving with Tiger Sharks

text and photos by Vadim Belakhov

I n the open water of a remote Maldivian island, consistent encounters and close observation reveal the behaviour of one of the ocean’s most misunder stood apex predators. Images & text by Vadim Belakhov I dived down to about 11 m to take this shot of a Tiger Shark cruising along the edge of the drop-off into the blue.

For years, the Maldives sat at the top of my list— not for the villas or the lagoons, but for something far more compelling. I came here for something very different: to freedive with, learn about, and photograph one of the ocean’s ultimate apex predators. There is a place here where encounters with Tiger Sharks are not a matter of luck, but of certainty—where seeing them is guaranteed in a way that simply does not exist in other parts of the world. While locations like the Galápagos and the Bahamas are well known for shark encounters, Fuvahmulah Island stands out for its unmatched consistency and the ability to interact with large Tiger Sharks in shallow coastal water. That combination of reliability, proximity, and raw, unscripted behaviour is rare, and it is exactly what drew me in—and in November last year, it finally became a reality! Getting to Fuvahmulah is straightforward with a bit of planning. My journey began by flying into

Malé at Malé International Airport (MLE). From there, I took a domestic flight to Fuvahmulah. It is best to book this in advance, especially during peak travel periods, and most dive operators can assist with the arrangements. The aircraft used for the domestic leg is small, but as always, the smaller the plane, the bigger the adventure. When planning the trip, I focused specifically on operators that also cater for freedivers. After narrowing down a few options, I reached out to them directly to get a clear understanding of what each package included: how many dives per day, whether accommodation and domestic flights were part of the price, and what was covered in terms of meals such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner. One of the key advantages here is flexibility, as most packages can be customised to suit your requirements. I was very well looked after and can highly

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DIVE LOG Australasia #418 JUNE ‘26

www.divelog.net.au