Maafushi Dive Sites
KANDOOMA THILA
Kandooma thila is considered one of the best dive sites in north Malé with overhangs and vibrant soft coral. This beautiful pinnacle is located North of Kandooma island, with its top reef at 12 meters descending to around 40 meters. The dive site is accessible throughout the year but recommended for divers with experience. During incoming currents, schools of fish, grey reef sharks, whitetip sharks, green turtles can be found between the thila and the ocean. During outgoing currents, most sharks can be located at the cleaning station at the northeast pinnacle at about 30 meters deep.
Type of site: pinnacle, drift dive
Experience level: intermediate to advanced
Visibility: 30 meters
Water temperature: 27-30°C
Dive depth: 12-40 meters
Highlights: barracudas, napoleon wrasse, groupers, sharks, white tip sharks, jacks, grey reef sharks, snapper, big eye trevally and on occasion eagle rays
Diving season: all year around
COCOA CORNER
This 400 meter pinnacle with a steep drop-off is absolutely fascinating to explore. Features at this dive site includes overhangs and caverns teeming with beautiful sea life. It is best place to spot sharks, both adult and newborn alike cruising along the edge of the channel together.
Type of site: channel
Experience level: novice to advanced
Visibility: 5-22 meters
Water temperature: 26 - 29°C
Dive depth: 12-30 meters
Highlights: vibrantly colored sponges and gorgonians, caves, overhangs, coral heads, eagle rays, tuna, barracudas, travellies and grey sharks.
Diving season: All year around.
GURAIDHOO
Located at the south of Guraidhoo island is the Guraidhoo dive site, known for its impressive underwater landscape and strong currents. This complex site dive site consists of 2 channels and a central reef. Due to its large area, the site can be explored as 3 different sites - Guraidhoo corner, Losfushi Kandu and Medhu Faru. The incoming currents are strong and brings in pelagic species and presents several 'washing machines.' Divers can dive a vertical ascent to avoid 'washing machines' or drifting along the wall of the channel.
Type of site: reef
Experience level: advanced, especially experienced in current
Visibility: up to 30 meters
Water temperature: 27 to 30°C
Dive depth: 5 to 30 meters
Highlights: Moray eels, squirrelfish, parrotfish, grouper, eagle rays and gray reef sharks.
Diving season: All year around, but best between December to April
KUDA GIRI & SHIPWRECK
Requires a small swim to reach this charming little wreck embedded with colorful sponges, tube corals and orange cup corals. The wreck is home to batfish, glassfish, gobies, shrimps. triggerfish and occasional Napoleon wrasse. Try to spot the lobsters hiding within the wreck.
Type of site: wreck
Experience level: novice
Visibility: 5 - 15 meters
Water temperature: 26 - 29 °C
Dive depth: 15 - 30 meters
Highlights: Lion fish, frog fish and stone fish.
Diving season: All year around
DHIGU THILA
Dhigu thila is located in a channel and is approximately 400 meters length. The top of the submerged reef is below 5 meters and can be easily explored by novice divers by snorkeling or diving. Soft corals can be seen inside caves along the wall of the reef. Outgoing currents creates a flushing effect accumulating planktons to the east part of the reef. This part of the reef is called the manta point as mantas congregate in a feeding frenzy.
Type of site: Drift
Experience level: Novice to intermediate
Visibility: 5 - 30 meters
Water temperature: 26 - 29 °C
Dive depth: 3 - 26 meters
Highlights: fusiliers, Napoleon wrasse, nurse sharks, moray eels, stingrays, whitetip sharks, jacks, tuna, colorful sea fans corals, scorpianfish
Diving season: all year around
SEXY REEF
This is the house reef of the pristine sandbank located near Maafushi. It can be accessed via the beach or from the boat. The reef can be accessed with a small effort, the wall bears overhangs and swim through, sandy slope which descend into a coral garden. Occasionally turtles swim by.
Type of site: reef
Experience level: Novice
Visibility:
Water temperature:
Dive depth:
Highlights: overhangs, eels, reef fish and schools of tuna.
Diving season: all year around
MIYARU FARU
Miyaru faru or 'shark reef' as the name indicates is the place to dive among herds of friendly sharks. While sharks are the main attraction at this dive location, other marine life such as Napoleon wrasse, snappers, trigger fish and eagle rays are abundant as well.
Type of site: wall/ channel/ drift dive
Experience level: all levels
Visibility: 15 - 30 meters
Water temperature:
Dive depth: 5 to 30 meters
Highlights: Trigger fish, Napoleon wrasse, schools of snappers, turtles and plenty of sharks.
Diving season: All year around
EMBUDHOO EXPRESS
Let the current take you along this 2 kilometer marine protected area of Embudhoo kandu. The views are simply spectacular with an array of marine life swimming along or hanging around the overhangs. The current is quite strong, which is why this is recommended for intermediate to advanced divers.
Type of site: wall/drift/thila
Experience level: intermediate to advanced
Visibility: 15 - 30 meters
Water temperature: 27 - 30 °C
Dive depth: 5 - 30 meters
Highlights: spotted grey sharks, white reef sharks, hammerheads, manta rays, eagle rays, barracudas, big eyed trevallies, Napoleon wrasse, batfish and yellow fin tuna.
Diving season: all around the year, but best between June to November
VADHOO CAVES
Vadhoo caves and caverns are located on a stretch of wall in the northern coast of the South Malé Atoll. These caves are nestled with soft corals and tend to vary in size and depth. Divers need to maintain impeccable bouncy control to prevent unintentional contact with the delicate cave walls. Watch the natures underwater show through the cave's opening into the deep blue as shoals of tuna scurry along or as the eagle rays gracefully glide by.
Type of site: wall/drift
Experience level: intermediate to advanced
Visibility:
Water temperature:
Dive depth:
Highlights: whitetip sharks, tuna, unicornfish, soldierfish, turtles and eagle rays.
Diving season: all around the year