Haa Alif & Haa Dhaalu Atolls · Maldives · Wreck
Filladhoo Wreck
Four chimneys stand out of the water above an 80 m wreck
Area photo: Kirill Flerov · CC BY 3.0
An 80 m ship lying south of Filladhoo and Dhapparu Island, the northernmost wreck dive in the Maldives. Parts of it break the surface, and the dive runs from 5 to 18 m: down to the stern where leopard sharks shelter from the current, around the collapsed deck, and back up the coral-covered sides to finish on the top section.
Also known as Maadhoo Wreck.
Where it is and how deep
6.8676° N, 73.2309° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
As the boat approaches you see the four chimneys rising out of the water; the wreck is 80 m long and lies on the south side of Dhapparu Island, with parts of it breaking the surface. Drop in and head for the stern first. In the moderate current that runs over the site, leopard sharks hide beneath the stern, and the schooling fish are thickest here: great numbers of snapper, fusiliers and bigeyes.
The deck has collapsed from salt-water corrosion, so there is no way into the ship's interior and the dive stays on the outside of the hull. Work along it looking for redtooth triggerfish, and check the structure closely for scorpionfish and stonefish, which sit still enough to miss, and for the nudibranchs that live on the metal. The site is also a refuge for large green sea turtles, schools of eagle rays and reef sharks.
The dive ends at 5 m, following the hard-coral-covered sides back up to the top section of the wreck, which puts the safety stop on the structure rather than in open water. With the chimneys standing out of the water above you and the shallowest metal at 5 m, the last part of the dive is spent over the corals growing on the upper hull before you surface to the boat.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Unidentified ship, known as the Filladhoo or Maadhoo Wreck
- Type
- Ship, type not published
- Length
- 80 m (262 ft)
- Cause
- Not published; the deck has since collapsed from salt-water corrosion
- Lies
- South of Filladhoo and Dhapparu Island in 5 to 18 m, with four chimneys breaking the surface
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Eagle rays
- Reef sharks
- Reef fish swarms
- Nudibranchs
| 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.
Know before you go
- A moderate current runs over the wreck: use the hull for shelter, as the leopard sharks under the stern do.
- The deck has collapsed and there is no safe interior; stay outside the structure.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Filladhoo Wreck?+
The dive runs at an easily accessible 5 to 18 m, with parts of the wreck breaking the surface, and finishes at 5 m on the top section of the structure.
Can you penetrate the Filladhoo Wreck?+
No. The deck has collapsed from salt-water corrosion, so the dive stays on the outside of the 80 m hull, from the stern up the coral-covered sides to the top section.
Sources
- Filladhoo (Wreck) — Scubago
- Diving Sites in Haa Alifu Atoll, Maldives — Dive The World
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