Dive Sites

Rasdhoo Beyru

A beautiful wall on the south side of the island of Rasdhoo with three small pinnacles (thila) that are on the lower edge a little further from the island wall. Thilas Top starts at 18-20 meters and is suitable for beginners and experts alike but the current can be medium to strong. Napoleon, mobulas ray, white tip sharks and grey reef sharks can be sighted here regularly. Sometimes stingrays resting on the sandy bottom between 25 and 30 meters deep between the wall and the thilas. If you are lucky eagle rays, and on very lucky days manta rays! It is also a great diving spot for macro enthusiasts as so many small creatures can be found here!

Distance: 03 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Channel Dive
Current: Small to Medium – can be strong or very strong
Common Sightings: Napoleon Fish, mobulas ray, White Tip Sharks, Grey Reef Sharks, Stingrays, Eagle Rays
Maximum Depth: 98 feet / 30 meters

Rasdhoo Channel

A great dive site for advance level divers with channel dive experience, because of the current flows in and out of the atoll and the depth ranging from 20m to 25m at top of the pinnacles dropping of to 30+m in to the blue. On a sandy bottom between Rasdhoo and Kuramathi all the pinnacles are already well colonized with different types of corals. On the sandy bottom look for stingrays, white-tip reef sharks. While crossing the channel almost anything is possible like grey reef sharks, eagle rays, manta, silver-tip reef sharks, or even hammerhead. Doing this dive at sunrise you will see the bioluminescent plankton and tuna & rainbow runners chasing bat fish.

Distance: 03 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Deep Dive Training or Advanced Divers
Type: Channel Dive
Current: Medium to Strong – can be very strong
Common Sightings: Moray Eel, Coral, Blacktip Reef Shark, Napoleon Fish, Tuna, Jackfish, Eagle Ray, Nudibranch, Sting Ray, Grey Sharks, Brain Coral, Silvertip Sharks, schools of Bullet tuna, rainbow runners, barracudas
Maximum Depth: 98 feet / 30 meters

Madigaa (Manta Point)

Inside the North Channel, in the manta season (from October to April) there is a good chance of seeing mantas on this dive. A big coral block known as manta cleaning station in 14 metres, with top at 10 metres is an attraction for many species of fish. Best is to sit 2-3 meters away from the block when mantas are around and watch them glide above. As this is a shallow dive we can spend more time exploring the dive site when the Manta aren't about as much, taking in all the micro species.

Distance: 25 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Coral Block (Mostly sit on the sandy bottom next to the Coral Block)
Current: Small to Medium – can be Strong
Common Sightings: Manta Ray
Maximum Depth: 45 feet / 14 meters

Veligandu Beyru / Veligandu East

This reef slowly goes down to 30 meters. Big coral blocks can be found between 10 and 30 meters and many of them are full with glass fishes. Very friendly turtles, sometimes eagle rays, mobulas ray or white-tip reef sharks can be seen swimming along the reef. But don't forget to look out for « small stuff » like nudibranches, scorpion fish or stonefish which can also inhabit these blocks. In the shallow part you will find lots of anemones with plenty of « nemos »

Distance: 20 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Wall, Drift
Current: Small to Medium – can be Strong
Common Sightings: White Tip Reef Shark, Eagle Ray, Mobula, Stone Fish, Turtle
Maximum Depth: 98 feet / 30 meters

Madivaru Corner

A highlight in the Rasdhoo Atoll for many reasons. This reef is located just in front of the island Madivaru and has some superb overhangs between 26 to 30 meters before a breath-taking drop-off. The real beauty of the dive will be when the current runs along the reef on the right shoulder and into the Atoll. Divers can find here almost anything they are looking for, from macro to big pelagic species like mobulas ray, grey reef sharks, white-tip reef sharks, eagle rays, napoleon wrasse, shoals of barracuda, jack fish and even giant travellis and dogtooth tunas chasing baitfish etc. Always worth a dive. Anything is possible, however the current can be medium to very strong.

Distance: 05 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Wall, Drift
Current: Small to Medium – can be Strong
Common Sightings: grey reef sharks, white-tip reef sharks, mobulas ray, eagle rays, napoleon wrasse, shoals of barracuda, jack fish and even giant travellis and dogtooth tunas chasing baitfish
Maximum Depth: 98 feet / 30 meters

Ori Faru

A highlight in the Rasdhoo Atoll for many reasons. This reef is located off Kuramathi . The real beauty of the dive will be when the current runs along the reef on the right shoulder and into the Atoll. Divers can find here almost anything they are looking for, from macro to pelagic species like grey reef sharks, white-tip reef sharks, eagle rays, napoleon wrasse, shoals of different kinds of Snappers, jack fish and even giant travellis and dogtooth tunas etc. Always worth a dive. Anything is possible, however the current can be medium to very strong. This dive site is especially for shallow diving, with most of the fascinating encounters between 10 to 18 meters.

Distance: 05 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Slope Reef, Drift
Current: Small to Medium – can be Strong
Common Sightings: Grey Reef Sharks, White Tip Reef Sharks, Eagle Rays, Napoleon Wrasse, Barracuda, Jack Fish, Giant Travellis, Snappers, Dogtooth Tuna,
Maximum Depth: 18 meters

Hammerhead Shark Point

Suitable only for advanced certified divers with excellent buoyancy, this is an early morning dive to see the elusive hammerhead shark. The boat drops us into blue water dive, where there is no reef or bottom to give you a visual reference as to your position. The blue plankton look like shining flakes of glitter in the water around you and unicorn fish will play around your face and amongst your bubbles. Even if the hammerheads don’t appear, it is a beautiful dive.

Distance: 05 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Deep Dive Training or Advanced Divers (Good Buoyancy required)
Type: Bluewater dive with no reference
Current: Medium to Strong – can be very strong
Common Sightings: Hammerhead Shark
Maximum Depth: 30 meters

Caves

Suitable for divers of all levels, this is a wall dive along the reef stretching out from Kuramathi Island. The caves are a series of shallow ledges found between 18 and 30m. One of the ledges at 22m is large enough to do a very pretty swim-through, taking care of the coral as we pass. Under the ledges, we can find white tip reef sharks and giant stingrays resting on the sand. The wall features beautiful fan corals and a variety of triggerfish species, as well as groupers, puffer-fish and parrot-fish. Looking out to the sea, we can see sharks, tuna and trevally cruising slowly beneath us. As our tanks get emptier, we work our way up the wall to the life and colour at the top of the reef at 5m, where we do a drifting safety stop. This site is one of the best & healthiest top reefs full of table corals and more.

Distance: 20 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Advanced
Type: Cave, Drift
Current: Medium to Strong
Common Sightings: White Tip Reef Shark, Giant Sting Ray, Fan Coral, Triggerfish, Grouper, Cod, Puffer Fish, Parrot Fish, Tuna
Maximum Depth: 30 meters

Three Palms

A very nice wall with a reef top starting in shallow water and which can be divided at any depth. Along with the dive, we encounter three big coral blocks in three different areas between 16 – 23 meters, just like ” Three Palms ”. Anything is possible here, like white-tip reef sharks, stingrays, and even more. Eagle rays also like to drift in the current along this wall. Looking down, beautiful sea fans can be seen. If you are lucky sometimes a green turtle or hawksbill turtle will come and say Hello and between two blocks you may get lucky and be accompanied by Eagle Rays.

Distance: 08 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Wall, Slope, Reef, Drift
Current: Small to Medium – can be Strong
Common Sightings: White Tip Reef Shark, Sting Ray, Eagle Ray
Maximum Depth: 24 meters

Bodu Gaa

Bodu Gaa means Big Stone in Dhivehi. This Bodu Gaa can be seen on the reef top just a few inches below the surface and is fully covered by multi-coloured fish. On the wall between 25-28 meters are two sandy areas where it is not rare to meet white-tip reef sharks or stingrays relaxing for the day. Around 25 – 26 meters, a couple of nice coral blocks dotted with soft corals are well-located on this sandy bottom. These blocks are full of blue Stripped snappers, and Humpback Snappers oriental sweet-lips, glass fishes and even stingrays are possible underneath any of the coral blocks. When there is some current, eagle rays may show-up. For the Micro explorers this site is one not too miss.

Distance: 20 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Wall, Drift
Current: Small to Medium – can be Strong
Common Sightings: White Tip Reef Shark, Grey Reef Shark, Sting Ray, Kashmir-Snappers, Oriental Sweet-Lips, Glass Fish
Maximum Depth: 30

Veligandu North

This dive site offers a top reef separated by a sandy plateau between 5 to 9 meters’ depth, below is a very nice steep wall dropping to around 25 to 30 meters continuing to the atoll drop-off. Along the wall, you can find some overhangs from a depth of 12 to 16 meters in different areas. Sometimes these overhangs are covered by glass fishes, through the glass fishes you may find lobsters or even stingray resting. Lots of macro stuff possible here. If you look carefully, you may find ghost pipefish and even leaf fish inside the overhangs or at the edge of the overhangs. If Madivaru is the capital of the sharks then Veligandu Noth will be the Capital of the moray eels. Please do not forget to have a look into the blue – sharks and more.

Distance: 20 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Wall, Drift
Current: Small to Medium – can be Strong
Common Sightings: Glass Fish, Lobster, Sting Ray, Ghost Pipefish, Leaf Fish, Moray Eels
Maximum Depth: 30

Reef Explorer Wreck Dive

A 30-meter fishing boat that sank in the Rasdhoo channel that lies on its side on a sandy bottom, surrounded by garden eels and shrimp in a depth of 12-16 meters. Some big groupers have been spotted here, and a few mantas occasionally patrol the area. Good buoyancy control is needed to avoid kicking up sediment which ruins visibility and take care to avoid many metal structures protruding from the wreck and in the sand. Some nice coral blocks around. Look out for the cleaner shrimp and goby pairs in the sand around the wreck.

Distance: 05 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Non-Penetration Wreck Dive & Night Dive Site
Current: Small to Medium – can be Strong
Common Sightings: Grouper, Manta, Shrimp, Goby Pairs, Nudibranch (All Kinds)
Maximum Depth: 18

Kuramathi Queen Wreck Dive

A well-protected area – just inside the lagoon of Kuramathi. The Kuramathi Queen sits on a sandy bottom, the top of the wreck is at 16 meters, bottom at 20+m. Great for a night dive, very spooky.

Distance: 08 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Non - Penetration Wreck Dive & Night Dive Site
Current: Almost nothing
Common Sightings: Grouper, Manta, Shrimp, Goby Pairs, Nudibranch (All Kinds)
Maximum Depth: 20 meters