Alif Dhaal

Alif Dhaal — South Ari — is where the whale sharks are. The stretch of water along the atoll's southern rim is one of the few places on earth with year-round sightings rather than a two-month season, and the islands on that coast have built their visitor economy on it.

Dhigurah is the one covered here: long, thin, with a sand spit running off the southern end and a boat trip out to the feeding grounds most mornings. The atoll has a domestic airport, which shortens the journey considerably compared with the long haul by sea.