Bicocca Diving

Research and diving on South Ari Atoll

Bicocca Diving operates from the Marine Research and Higher Education Center (#MaRHECenter) on South Ari Atoll in the Maldives, a facility officially inaugurated on January 28th, 2009. The Center was created to carry out research and educational activities in environmental science and marine biology, tourism science and human geography — and to teach how a fragile environment and its biodiversity can be protected, used and managed responsibly.

As a PADI Resort, the operation runs PADI scuba diving alongside conservation activities, with air fills and nitrox available. There's a house reef on the doorstep and a dive boat for trips further out, while the waterfront base adds an onsite classroom, onsite accommodation, food and drinks, and Wi-Fi ($). Staff speak English and Italian.

Marine life logged here includes sharks, whales, turtles, ocean fish, sharks and rays, and others. Doors open at 08:30 AM daily, closing at 06:00 PM Monday through Friday and Sunday, and 05:00 PM on Saturday.

It suits divers who want their time underwater tied to something larger — the reefs of the Maldives underpin the fisheries and tourism the country's economy relies on, and this is a place built around understanding them.