Maamigili tide times

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived.

Model-derived from a global ocean grid. Useful indication; expect about ±45 minutes on average vs. a local harmonic gauge, individual stations vary widely. See /methodology for per-region detail. Not for navigation.

Conditions as of 09:00 local time. Refreshes daily.

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived. · Not for navigation.

The angler tradition for major/minor fishing windows: major ≈3-hour windows around moon transit and opposition; minor ≈2-hour windows around moonrise and moonset. Times are Indian/Maldives local. Folk tradition, not a scientific forecast.

Next spring tide on Mon 18 May (range 1.1m). Last neap on Sat 16 May. Next neap on Fri 22 May.

Spring tides cluster around new and full moons (biggest swings). Neap tides land on quarter moons (smallest swings). See the spring tide and neap tide glossary entries for the why.

Maamigili is an inhabited island in the southeast of South Ari Atoll (Alifu Dhaalu), home to the Maamigili Regional Airport — the only domestic airport in Ari Atoll and the main non-resort access point for the atoll. Most visitors to South Ari Atoll arrive by seaplane from Malé (20–30 minutes) or by speedboat (2–3 hours); the domestic airport at Maamigili gives a third option, connecting to Velana International Airport via Trans Maldivian Airways or Manta Air. The tidal regime at Maamigili is the mixed Maldivian pattern: mixed with a significant diurnal component, spring range approximately 0.9–1.2 m above Chart Datum. On some lunar phases the tidal curve is predominantly diurnal — one clear high and one clear low per day. The Maldives Meteorological Service operates sea-level gauges at several atolls; South Ari Atoll is monitored from Malé reference data adjusted for local conditions. On most days, the two daily highs differ by 0.2–0.4 m, which is sufficient to change the depth over the surrounding reef flats noticeably. Maamigili is primarily a transit and logistics island rather than a resort destination; the inhabited island has local services, a harbour, and the airport, but the nearby resort islands and the whale shark aggregation areas of South Ari Atoll are the draw for visitors. The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) aggregation along the eastern ocean face of South Ari Atoll is one of the most consistently accessible in the world; Maamigili and the nearby resort islands operate whale shark snorkelling excursions year-round, with peak aggregation during the SW monsoon (May–November) when upwelling concentrates fish spawn and zooplankton on the eastern face. The reef flat surrounding Maamigili island is typical of inhabited Maldivian islands: a lagoon on the sheltered side, reef on the ocean-facing side, and a gradual transition through the intertidal zone. At high water the lagoon is swimmable with 1.0–1.5 m depth over the sandy floor; at low water the lagoon flat exposes and the sandy bottom of the inner lagoon can be 20–30 cm deep, appropriate for wading but not swimming. The ocean-facing reef drops steeply to 15–20 m within 50 m of the reef crest; snorkelling from the reef crest is possible at high water when the crest is at 0.3–0.5 m depth, or accessible by boat at any time. Tide predictions here come from Open-Meteo Marine: accuracy ±45 min / ±0.2–0.3 m. The Maldives Meteorological Service publishes Maldivian sea-level data. Maamigili's inhabited island status means it has shops, a clinic, a school, and the practical services that resort islands lack. Independent travellers staying at guesthouses in Maamigili and making day trips to the whale shark aggregation zones and the nearby dive sites have a more grounded experience of the atoll than resort-only visitors. The island's market (fish market in the morning, general goods in the afternoon) reflects the daily fishing economy of a working Maldivian community. The local dive and snorkel operators based at Maamigili provide access to sites that resort boats also visit; prices are typically lower than at resort dive centres. The inhabited island economy at Maamigili supports the airport logistics staff and their families, along with the island's permanent fishing and agriculture community. Guesthouses on inhabited Maldivian islands are required to maintain alcohol-free premises, consistent with the national rule that alcohol is only permitted on designated resort islands and the Malé international airport transit zone. This makes the Maamigili guesthouse experience substantially different from the resort island experience; meals are typically home-cooked Maldivian food (tuna-based curries, rice, roshi flatbread) rather than international buffet. The domestic airport at Maamigili opens the South Ari Atoll whale shark experience and the atoll's dive sites to budget-conscious travellers who find the seaplane option prohibitively expensive; the domestic flight combined with speedboat transfers is the most economical way to reach any Ari Atoll resort or guesthouse.