The Maldives is one of the dream destinations of SCUBA divers, both amateurs and aficionados. It is one of the most unique diving sites, offering divers a glimpse of the wonderful world underwater with its colourful fishes and reefs. So while the country is known for their unique Maldives beach resorts, we are going to dive into one of the most exciting parts of staying here. We list down some of the best and most popular diving sites in the Maldives where you will surely have an awesome time moving with the currents.
Kudarah Thila
Kudarah Thila was declared a Protected Marine Area by the Maldivian government, and is about 100m in diameter. Thila means “pinnacle”, and the Kudarah has four pinnacles within the 100m diameter that divers can circumnavigate in one dive. It is a popular site among experienced divers because of its swim-through location in the middle of two long reefs. There are various marine life you can encounter on your swim here, namely: Gorgonian Sea Fans, Black Corals, Bluestripe Snappers, Batfishes, as well as sharks and trevally.
Kalhahandi Kandu (Panettone)
The amusing moniker of the Kalhahandi Kandu site had an equally funny origin. This diving site is fondly called Pannettone because a lot of Italian divers thought that it looked like the Italian fruit cake called by the same name. Truthfully, it deserves the nickname because the Kalhahandi Kandu is one of the most attractive diving sites in the Maldives. It is composed of soft and hard coral species, with fishes like the Angelfish, Butterfly fish, Scorpion fish, and Puffer fish. The great thing about it is, unlike some of the diving sites, it is not seasonal. You can visit Kalhahandi Kandu all year round.
Banana Reef
The Banana Reef is a protected marine site which perfectly showcases the brilliance and beauty of the aquatic life. It is dubbed as one of the best reefs to take a dive in. The dive is a total of 5 to 20 metres in depth, and features a variety of cliffs and overhangs. The coral formations that can be found here are colourful and plentiful, and this attracts a variety of fishes like Squirrelfish, Bannerfish, and Oriental Sweetlips.
Cocoa Thila
Cocoa Thila is considered to be one of the best diving sites in the Maldives. It is located at the Cocoa Channel within the South Male Atoll. Schools of Fusiliers, Big Eyed trevally, and Red Snappers can be found here. On top of the reef you will also see reef fish, table corals, and green turtles. But the most spectacular sighting of all are grey reef sharks and White sharks that sometimes swim with the large Tuna and Eagle Rays that are brought by the current.
Bodu Hoholha
Bodu Hoholha is known for its wall dive. At the top of the reef, it measures about 5 to 8 metres, and then drops to a descent of almost 30 metres. After descending to 25 metres you will be able to see overhangs that form steps in the reef and caves. Don’t forget to bring a light with you, though, because some of the caves are big enough for you to enter and houses different schools of fishes. Along the walls of the reef are purple gorgonians, and at 10 metres and above you will see different coloured corals. In the caves and the deepest depths you will be able to see eels, shrimp, and other bigger pelagic fish.
These are just some of the diving sites that you can visit here. But if you’re planning on going on a diving trip, you’ll need a beach resort in Maldives that can help you organise those trips, and of course, where you can rest after a long day out at sea. Fihalhohi Island Resort is just one of the best places to stay, especially during a diving trip. Other than having the best accommodation in the Maldives, it organises diving and other water excursion trips so that guests can enjoy their vacation without the hassle.
What are you waiting for? Visit the Maldives and dive into a whole new world under the sea!
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