Haa Alif & Haa Dhaalu Atolls · Maldives · Wall · Reef
Alidhoo Caves
Large overhangs on the wall with sleeping stingrays and turtles
Area photo: Kirill Flerov · CC BY 3.0
An island reef off Alidhoo in Haa Alif that begins on a top reef at just 5 m and progresses to a drop-off and wall reaching 30 m. The wall is cut with large overhangs where stingrays and turtles sleep and lionfish, moray eels and lobsters hide, while eagle rays, sharks, napoleon wrasse and barracuda pass by in open water.
Where it is and how deep
6.8469° N, 73.1509° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
You start on the top reef at just 5 m, a shallow, bright beginning to the dive, then follow the reef as it progresses to the drop-off. From there the wall falls to 30 m, and how deep you go is a matter of certification and plan; the large overhangs are along the reef wall itself, so the dive does not depend on reaching the bottom to see the best of it.
Work along the wall checking each of the large overhangs. This is where stingrays and turtles sleep, and where lionfish, moray eels and lobsters tuck in. Keep half an eye on the blue side: eagle rays, sharks, napoleon wrasse and barracuda pass by, and schools of batfish have a habit of following divers along the reef. Finish by coming back up onto the top reef for a shallow end to the dive.
Marine life and season
- Stingrays
- Sea turtles
- Eagle rays
- Napoleon wrasse
- Barracuda
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Haa Alif & Haa Dhaalu Atolls: January to April is calm and clear with visibility to 30 m; the far north is dived most of the year, with June and July the roughest months of the southwest monsoon.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Alidhoo Caves?+
The top reef is at 5 m and the drop-off and wall reach 30 m; the overhangs with sleeping stingrays and turtles are along the wall, so the dive works at a range of depths.
Sources
- Alidhoo Caves — Scubago
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