Baa Atoll & Hanifaru Bay · Maldives · Pinnacle · Drift · Cave & cavern
Dhonfanu Thila
A narrow swim-through and mantas on a current-split point
Photo: Светлана Царахова · CC0
A thila that comes to a point facing the prevailing current, which splits and runs down either flank. Divers drop in up-current at around 22 metres, ride the flow past overhangs packed with snapper and soldierfish, and thread a narrow swim-through whose entrance sits at 18 metres. Mantas are seen here regularly.
Where it is and how deep
5.1724° N, 73.1162° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Divers typically drop in up-current and descend to around 22 metres to meet the point of the reef, where the prevailing flow splits and runs down either flank. Hold the point for a while, because this is where the passing traffic shows: grey sharks, eagle rays, napoleon fish and tuna are the common sightings here, along with mantas, which Baa Atoll is known for and which are seen at this site regularly.
After a few minutes you reach the base of a swim-through at 25 metres. Pass it, ascend to around 18 metres and you find the entrance. It is quite narrow, so take care going through and do no more than brush past the black coral bushes growing inside it. The overhangs on the way give shelter to yellow-lined snapper and soldierfish in big numbers, packed in tight where the reef breaks the current.
Come out onto the flank and let the flow carry you along the reef. A continuous series of cascading moon fusiliers and broad-striped fusiliers spills over the edges, and among the hundreds of species around you are red-toothed triggers, black pyramid butterflyfish, parrotfish, angelfish, unicornfish and starry rabbitfish. PADI gives 30 metres as the maximum depth for the site, though the thila itself runs from 9 metres down to 35.
Background
Dhonfanu Thila sits inside Angafaru, a 404-hectare protected area of marine biodiversity in the Maldives. Its boundary runs 200 metres outside the outer reef edge of Angafaru, Dhiguthila, Dhonfanu Thila and Mahaanagaa Thila, grouping the thila with its neighbours under a single protection rather than treating it as an isolated dive site.
Marine life and season
- Manta rays
- Reef sharks
- Napoleon wrasse
- Eagle rays
- Tuna
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
Season follows Baa Atoll & Hanifaru Bay: The Hanifaru aggregation runs May–Nov on the south-west monsoon and peaks Aug–Oct; Dec–Apr is calmer and clearer but the mantas disperse.
Know before you go
- The current splits at the point and changes with the tide, so drop in up-current and be ready to hold on the reef rather than swim against the flow.
- The swim-through is narrow, with black coral bushes inside it. Enter at the 18 metre entrance, go single file and keep your trim so you do no more than brush past.
Photos from Dhonfanu Thila
Светлана Царахова · CC0
Светлана Царахова · CC0
Светлана Царахова · CC0
Dive videos
manta rays at Dhonfanu Thila cleaning station 2021 08 26 1of 3 · Fehi Velaa Dive on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Dhonfanu Thila?+
The usual profile runs from about 18 metres to 30 metres, the maximum PADI gives for the site, with the swim-through base at 25 metres. The thila itself extends from 9 metres down to 35 metres.
Do you see manta rays at Dhonfanu Thila?+
Yes. Baa Atoll is well known for mantas and this is one of the sites where they are seen regularly, so it is worth watching the blue off the point rather than only the reef.
Sources
- Dhonfanu Thila dive site — PADI
- Baa Atoll Diving and Hanifaru Bay, Northern Atolls - Maldives — Dive The World
- Diving in the Maldives — Wikipedia
- Angafaru — Wikipedia
Photo credits
- Loose school of black pyramid butterflyfish drifting over the reef in open water by Светлана Царахова, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Small group of red-tailed butterflyfish over coral rubble on the reef slope by Светлана Царахова, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red-tailed butterflyfish with a hint of a companion fish swimming beside coral heads by Светлана Царахова, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Powder blue tang swimming low over a rocky, sand-dusted reef bottom by Светлана Царахова, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
In The Logbook
- Where to dive with manta rays, month by monthBig animals · 8 min read
More dive sites in Baa Atoll & Hanifaru Bay
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Coral slopes and a vertical wall between 5 m and 30 m
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A vertical chimney through the reef with a cave exit
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Canyons and overhangs from 12 to 30 m, with a shark nursery
Pinnacle
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Pinnacle
Endemic sponge snail on a protected thila topping out at 7 m
Pinnacle
A 400 m ridge from an 8 m top down to about 35 m
A shore-entry slope from 3 m down, with 20–25 m visibility
Similar dives elsewhere
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