Baa Atoll & Hanifaru Bay · Maldives · Pinnacle
Kihaa Rock
An offshore rock that begins at 19 m and drops to 35 m
Area photo: Abllo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kihaa Rock is a small offshore rock formation in Baa Atoll that starts at 19 m and descends to 35 m, so there is no shallow reef to settle onto at either end of the dive. Depth and exposure to current put it out of range for newer divers, and nitrox is recommended to get useful bottom time out of a profile that begins deep.
Where it is and how deep
5.2152° N, 73.1308° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive starts deep. The top of the rock is at 19 m, so there is no shallow phase to settle into — the descent goes straight to working depth and the profile stays deep from the first minute to the last, with the formation continuing down to 35 m. Nitrox is recommended for exactly that reason: on air the no-stop time at those depths is short enough that the dive can be over before the rock has been properly covered.
Because it stands offshore rather than on a reef line, Kihaa Rock is exposed to current, and the dive is planned around that. Expect a fast descent onto the structure, work in whatever shelter the rock gives, and keep the group tight. It is a small formation, which means the route is a circuit of it rather than a traverse, and losing it in the flow means an early end to the dive.
The ascent is the other half of the planning. With nothing shallow to hold onto, you leave the rock and come up in blue water on a marker, so the safety stop is done drifting rather than over reef. Set a turn pressure that accounts for that free ascent before you go in.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| 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 site is exposed to current with no shallow reef to finish on, so the ascent and safety stop happen in blue water — carry a surface marker and plan the free ascent before descending.
- The rock starts at 19 m and drops to 35 m, which makes no-stop time short: nitrox is recommended and a hard turn pressure matters more than usual.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Kihaa Rock?+
The top of the rock is already at 19 m and the formation descends to 35 m, so the whole dive is deep. Nitrox is recommended to extend bottom time on that profile.
Is Kihaa Rock suitable for beginners?+
No. The depth and the current exposure make it a site for advanced divers, and there is no shallow reef to fall back on if the dive does not go to plan.
Sources
- Kihaa Rock — Scubago
More dive sites in Baa Atoll & Hanifaru Bay
Reef
Coral slopes and a vertical wall between 5 m and 30 m
Blue hole
A vertical chimney through the reef with a cave exit
Reef
Canyons and overhangs from 12 to 30 m, with a shark nursery
Pinnacle
Four coral pinnacles 30–50 m apart, from 10 m down to 30 m
Turtles and whitetips resting under a quiet 10 m pinnacle
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 narrow swim-through and mantas on a current-split point
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