What is the Alimathaa night shark dive, and how does it work?

It's a scheduled nurse-shark feed at the channel right beside the resort. Nurse sharks (usually 8 to 15, sometimes more in peak season) gather at dusk for the feed the dive school has run for decades, done from boat or shore depending on conditions, usually for Open Water divers with a night-dive specialty or a guide. It's unusual because most of the country's big marine-life encounters (Hanifaru Bay in Baa, the South Ari whale-shark corridor, Manta Point in North Malé) are off-property boat trips, while Alimathaa's runs at its own channel. One caveat worth naming: chum-feeding shark encounters raise environmental questions; the resort has run this for years, but travellers who weigh that on ethical grounds should read up independently before booking.

How does Alimathà compare to the other Italian-managed resorts in the Maldives?

A handful of Maldivian resorts have a long Italian-run character, across different atolls and levels. Alimathà (Vaavu, opened 1975, mid-range, dive-led, with the night shark feed) is the oldest, the heritage dive anchor. Medhufushi (Meemu, opened 2000, premium) and Kihaa (Baa, premium, dive-anchored) sit at the premium level. Ranveli (Alif Dhaal) is the smaller, adults-only one. For the deepest Italian dive heritage, Alimathà; for a premium Italian island, Medhufushi or Kihaa; for a small adults-only one, Ranveli.

Vaavu Atoll · mid range resort · opened 1975

Alimathà NAKAI Resort Maldives

A long-running Italian-favoured dive resort on Alimathaa island, Vaavu Atoll, now run as Alimathà NAKAI Resort Maldives. One of very few resorts in the quiet Vaavu Atoll, home to the famous Alimathaa night shark dive (a nurse-shark feeding encounter at the channel beside the resort), a 1975 opening that makes it one of the country's earliest resorts, and a 45-minute seaplane from Velana.

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Alimathà NAKAI Resort Maldives sits on Alimathaa island in Vaavu Atoll, south-southwest of Malé, opened in 1975 as one of the country's earliest resorts and run for decades as an Italian-favoured dive resort, now under the NAKAI Resorts brand. Three things define it. Vaavu is a small, lightly developed atoll with very few resorts, so a stay here is quieter and more low-key than the busier central atolls. The Italian roots run deep, in the kitchen, the aperitivo-hour evenings, and the Italian and European repeat guests who come back year after year. And the Alimathaa night shark dive, at the channel right beside the resort, is the real draw: nurse sharks gather at dusk for a feed that the dive school has run for decades, an encounter few other resorts in the country can offer off their own doorstep.

Setting

Alimathaa is a natural island in Vaavu Atoll, south-southwest of Malé, with the 220 villas across the beach and the over-water cluster. The Alimathaa Channel beside the resort is the marine-life draw.

Vaavu is one of the country's quietest, least-developed atolls, which is the appeal: fewer resorts, fewer boats, more space.

Critique: the 1975 layout at 220 villas reads functional rather than contemporary and low-density; the appeal is the quiet atoll and the diving, not a designed island.

Who it's for

Divers who want the Alimathaa night shark dive. The dusk nurse-shark feed off the resort is one of the strongest marine-life encounters in the country, on a mid-range all-inclusive.
Travellers who want a long-running Italian-favoured dive resort. The 1975 opening and decades of the same dive operation give it a settled, expert feel few resorts match.
Italian and European travellers who want a familiar style. The Italian kitchen, the aperitivo evenings, and the long-standing repeat clientele make for a distinctive feel.
Travellers who want the quiet of Vaavu. The atoll is lightly developed and low-key, a different trip from the busy central atolls.

Who it isn't for

Travellers who want premium or ultra-luxury polish. Alimathà is a mid-range, Italian-run dive resort, below the premium resorts elsewhere.
Travellers who want a recent, contemporary build. The 1975 opening, renovated since, means a pre-1990 island layout.
Travellers who don't dive or snorkel. The resort is built around its dive operation and the night shark feed; non-divers may find more to do at the central-atoll resorts.
Travellers who want a different dive atoll. This is Vaavu; for South Ari's whale-shark diving, Vilamendhoo.

The villas

The 220 villas span Standard Beach Bungalow, Beach Villa, Deluxe Beach Villa, and Water Villa along the Alimathaa shoreline and the over-water cluster. Sizes vary by category; confirm at booking.

Villa	Size	Sleeps	Pool
Standard Beach Bungalow	35 m²	2	No
Beach Villa	50 m²	2	No
Deluxe Beach Villa	70 m²	3	No
Water Villa	60 m²	2	No

Food & drink

Two venues anchor the Italian-run all-inclusive plan. The main all-day pavilion runs a rotating buffet plus à-la-carte across breakfast to dinner, with Italian sections (pasta and pizza, plus a rotating regional Italian menu) alongside the usual Asian and international choices; the beach-side bar handles lunch and sundowners at aperitivo hour.

The Italian kitchen is the real distinction: trained Italian chefs on the pasta and pizza, Italian bread, and an Italian-leaning wine list, all included. The bar leans into the aperitivo evening.

Honest read on the food: two venues is a narrow range, and the cooking is mid-range; the Italian character, not the breadth, is the draw here.

Diving and the house reef

The dive operation is what the resort is built around. Running since 1975, it knows the Vaavu dive sites cold: the Alimathaa Channel right beside the resort (strong currents and the nurse-shark night feed), Miyaru Kandu, and Fotteyo Kandu, one of the country's best channel dives, with regular grey reef and white-tip sharks.

The Alimathaa night shark dive is the headline: nurse sharks gather at dusk at the channel beside the resort for a feed the dive school has run for years. It is one of the strongest marine-life encounters in the country, off the resort's own doorstep.

Certification courses run from Open Water through Divemaster; between the Italian dive operation and decades on these channels, this reads as a genuine dive-specialist resort despite the quiet Vaavu setting.

Spa and wellness

The on-property spa runs at the mid-range level, with massages, facials, and body scrubs, plus a few Italian-influenced treatments.

With a dive-focused crowd, spa demand sits below the area's wellness-focused resorts, so appointments are easy to get.

Honest caveat: if wellness is the whole point of the trip, the area's dedicated wellness islands are well ahead.

Activities and the on-island programme

The calendar is led by diving: the Alimathaa night shark feed, daily boat dives to Fotteyo Kandu, Miyaru Kandu, and the wider Vaavu sites, certification courses, and equipment hire. The usual watersports (stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, guided snorkel trips) cover the non-dive side.

Italian cultural evenings run through the wider calendar, in keeping with the resort's character.

Smaller offerings: a dolphin-watching cruise and a sunset cruise; with Vaavu so lightly developed, there are no cross-island resort visits as at the central atolls.

Getting there

The standard route from Velana International is a 45-minute seaplane straight to Alimathaa.

Seaplanes fly in daylight only (roughly 06:30 to 16:00), so travellers landing late stay at the airport and fly over the next morning.

Visa: most nationalities receive a 30-day free visa on arrival. The Tourism GST adds 17 percent to the total bill.

Best time to visit

Vaavu's seasons follow the standard Maldivian pattern. December through April is the dry season, with the European peak; January through March is usually the best window for dive visibility.

May through November carries the southwest monsoon; the Italian summer holidays bring a second spike in August.

Contrarian's pick: late September into October for shoulder-season value with the diving still good.

Sustainability, the numbers

The resort's sustainability programme covers the basics: energy efficiency, waste segregation, and marine stewardship.

Fifty years on the same reef give the dive school a long record at the Alimathaa Channel, monitored daily.

What is absent: a published, independently audited annual impact report of the kind Soneva produces.

Our take

What sets Alimathà apart is the night shark dive. Off its own channel, at dusk, nurse sharks gather for a feed the dive school has run for decades, an encounter you can do from the resort rather than on a long boat trip. Most of the country's big marine-life draws (Hanifaru Bay in Baa, the South Ari whale-shark corridor, Manta Point in North Malé) are off-property boat trips; Alimathaa's is right beside the island.

The underrated angle is Alimathà as the country's oldest of the Italian-favoured dive resorts. A handful of resorts here have a long Italian-run character: Medhufushi in Meemu and Kihaa in Baa, both premium dive islands, and Ranveli in Alif Dhaal. Alimathà, from 1975, is the oldest of them, and the deepest in Italian dive heritage. For travellers who want that Italian-run dive feel with the most history behind it, it's the one.

Our recommendation: book a Deluxe Beach Villa for a seven-night dive week, plan two dives a day with at least one evening on the night shark feed, aim for the January-to-March visibility peak or the late-September shoulder, and use the 45-minute seaplane (with an airport-hotel night if you land late). For a dive-led week in quiet Vaavu with the country's strongest nurse-shark encounter, this is the answer.

Maldives Idylls editorial·last revised 2026-05-11

Verdict

For divers who want the Alimathaa night shark dive, travellers who want a long-running Italian-favoured dive resort, Italian and European travellers who want a familiar style, and travellers who want the quiet of Vaavu, Alimathà NAKAI Resort Maldives is the right answer for a dive-led week in a quiet atoll. The 220 villas across Standard Beach Bungalow, Beach Villa, Deluxe Beach Villa, and Water Villa types, the two-venue Italian all-inclusive, the dive school with the Alimathaa night shark feed, the 1975 heritage, and the 45-minute seaplane from Velana are the headline features. The mid-range, Italian-run polish sitting below the premium resorts elsewhere, the 1975 layout rather than a newer one, the narrow two-venue dining, the dive-led focus that suits divers more than non-divers, and a working rather than audited approach to sustainability are the honest trade-offs.

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Lagoon conditions

28°Csea 29°C

Wind

18.8 m/s W

Source: Open-Meteo · cached 6h

Quick facts

Villas: 220 villas: Standard Beach Bungalow, Beach Villa, Deluxe Beach Villa, and Water Villa
Restaurants: Two venues on the Italian-run all-inclusive plan: the main all-day pavilion with an Italian kitchen, and a beach-side bar with an aperitivo hour
Transfer: 45-min seaplane direct from Velana International (daylight-only flights)
Dive centre: Italian-run dive school operating since 1975; the Alimathaa Channel night shark feed, plus Fotteyo Kandu and Miyaru Kandu
Opened: 1975 (one of the country's earliest resorts; a long-running Italian-favoured dive resort, now run as Alimathà NAKAI Resort Maldives under the NAKAI Resorts brand)
Island: Alimathaa, Vaavu Atoll (south-southwest of Malé)
Brand framework: Alimathà NAKAI Resort Maldives, under the NAKAI Resorts brand; a long-running Italian-favoured dive resort since 1975, in the quiet Vaavu Atoll
Distinctive feature: The Alimathaa night shark dive at the channel right beside the resort (a scheduled nurse-shark feed, an encounter few resorts can offer off their own doorstep); a 1975 origin as a long-running Italian-favoured dive resort, now run as Alimathà NAKAI; one of very few resorts in the quiet Vaavu Atoll

Gallery

Photographs come from each resort's own communications and operator-supplied media kits. Operators retain ownership; takedown requests are honoured on email. Click any tile to view it full size.

Alimathaa Maldives Resort, aerial, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, Top-down aerial of the V-shape over-water villa cluster meeting at the wooded island tip in Vaavu Atoll, signature red-tile pyramid roofs lined along the curved boardwalk, reef edge at left. — Top-down aerial of the V-shape over-water villa cluster meeting at the wooded island tip in Vaavu Atoll, signature red-tile pyramid roofs lined along the curved boardwalk, reef edge at left.

Alimathaa Maldives Resort, aerial, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, Top-down close-up of two arched rows of over-water villas with their red-tile pyramid roofs aligned along the connecting walkway over a turquoise reef-flat. — Top-down close-up of two arched rows of over-water villas with their red-tile pyramid roofs aligned along the connecting walkway over a turquoise reef-flat.

Alimathaa Maldives Resort, aerial, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, Oblique aerial perspective of the full V-shape over-water villa cluster with the timber boardwalk forming the apex, red-tile pyramid roofs lined symmetrically along each arm above the lagoon. — Oblique aerial perspective of the full V-shape over-water villa cluster with the timber boardwalk forming the apex, red-tile pyramid roofs lined symmetrically along each arm above the lagoon.

Alimathaa Maldives Resort, villa overwater, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, Over-water villa row from the deck, red-tile pyramid roofs and white walls receding along the boardwalk, the property's signature hammock-net inset built into the timber deck at left, Adirondack chair and cushioned sun lounger on the deck at right. — Over-water villa row from the deck, red-tile pyramid roofs and white walls receding along the boardwalk, the property's signature hammock-net inset built into the timber deck at left, Adirondack chair and cushioned sun lounger on the deck at right.

Alimathaa Maldives Resort, villa overwater, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, Over-water villa deck space, a couple at the lagoon ladder with timber railing and steps down into the reef-flat, white pyramid-roof villa wall and sun lounger in foreground. — Over-water villa deck space, a couple at the lagoon ladder with timber railing and steps down into the reef-flat, white pyramid-roof villa wall and sun lounger in foreground.

Alimathaa Maldives Resort, villa interior, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, Over-water villa bedroom, a wrought-iron coral-motif four-poster bed (the property's signature interior detail) with white linens and yellow throw pillows, mosquito-net canopy, rose-petal heart on the bed, reef visible through glass doors on both sides. — Over-water villa bedroom, a wrought-iron coral-motif four-poster bed (the property's signature interior detail) with white linens and yellow throw pillows, mosquito-net canopy, rose-petal heart on the bed, reef visible through glass doors on both sides.

Alimathaa Maldives Resort, setting, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, Reef view from the over-water villa deck, a snorkeler in the clear water above the coral garden, sun loungers on the timber deck at the edge of the frame, lagoon-edge reef stretching to the channel beyond. — Reef view from the over-water villa deck, a snorkeler in the clear water above the coral garden, sun loungers on the timber deck at the edge of the frame, lagoon-edge reef stretching to the channel beyond.

Alimathaa Maldives Resort, dining, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, Principal pavilion interior, wide open-sided thatched A-frame with ceiling fans, mesh-and-aluminium chairs around dining tables on polished timber floor, the lagoon visible through the seaward open frame. — Principal pavilion interior, wide open-sided thatched A-frame with ceiling fans, mesh-and-aluminium chairs around dining tables on polished timber floor, the lagoon visible through the seaward open frame.

Alimathaa Maldives Resort, dining, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, Open-air bar lounge pavilion, exposed timber A-frame ceiling with ceiling fans, white sofa clusters arranged on a sand floor (the property's signature lounge detail), thatched palm-fringe perimeter opening to the lagoon at right. — Open-air bar lounge pavilion, exposed timber A-frame ceiling with ceiling fans, white sofa clusters arranged on a sand floor (the property's signature lounge detail), thatched palm-fringe perimeter opening to the lagoon at right.

Alimathaa Maldives Resort, dining, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, Beach bar pavilion at golden hour, round thatched-roof bar structure with guests gathered at the counter, palm-canopy backdrop and white sand around the perimeter. — Beach bar pavilion at golden hour, round thatched-roof bar structure with guests gathered at the counter, palm-canopy backdrop and white sand around the perimeter.

Alimathaa Maldives Resort, dining, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, Bar counter close-up, Italian aperitivo bottles (Martini, Campari) lined along the timber counter, thatched ceiling overhead, view through to the over-water villa pavilions on the lagoon beyond (the property's Italian aperitivo hour, visible at the bar). — Bar counter close-up, Italian aperitivo bottles (Martini, Campari) lined along the timber counter, thatched ceiling overhead, view through to the over-water villa pavilions on the lagoon beyond (the property's Italian aperitivo hour, visible at the bar).

Alternatives we would also recommend

Meemu Atoll

Medhufushi Island Resort

An Italian-managed island in Meemu, a quiet two-resort atoll: a premium all-inclusive, 120 villas, opened in 2000, with the same long European-run character.

Alif Dhaal (South Ari) Atoll

Vilamendhoo Island Resort

A dive-focused, adults-only island in South Ari, run by Crown & Champa: a mid-range all-inclusive, 184 villas, with Euro-Divers and South Ari's whale-shark corridor.

Frequently asked

What is the Alimathaa night shark dive, and how does it work?: It's a scheduled nurse-shark feed at the channel right beside the resort. Nurse sharks (usually 8 to 15, sometimes more in peak season) gather at dusk for the feed the dive school has run for decades, done from boat or shore depending on conditions, usually for Open Water divers with a night-dive specialty or a guide. It's unusual because most of the country's big marine-life encounters (Hanifaru Bay in Baa, the South Ari whale-shark corridor, Manta Point in North Malé) are off-property boat trips, while Alimathaa's runs at its own channel. One caveat worth naming: chum-feeding shark encounters raise environmental questions; the resort has run this for years, but travellers who weigh that on ethical grounds should read up independently before booking.
How does Alimathà compare to the other Italian-managed resorts in the Maldives?: A handful of Maldivian resorts have a long Italian-run character, across different atolls and levels. Alimathà (Vaavu, opened 1975, mid-range, dive-led, with the night shark feed) is the oldest, the heritage dive anchor. Medhufushi (Meemu, opened 2000, premium) and Kihaa (Baa, premium, dive-anchored) sit at the premium level. Ranveli (Alif Dhaal) is the smaller, adults-only one. For the deepest Italian dive heritage, Alimathà; for a premium Italian island, Medhufushi or Kihaa; for a small adults-only one, Ranveli.

Verification

Last verified 2026-05-28. Next refresh 2026-08-28. Edited by Linus Halberg.