Haa Alif & Haa Dhaalu Atolls · Maldives · Pinnacle
Hanimaadhoo Thila
Open-water descent to 30 m, then circle the thila upward
Area photo: Kirill Flerov · CC BY 3.0
A medium-sized thila off Hanimaadhoo in Haa Dhaalu whose highest point is around 14 m and whose base sits at around 30 m. The dive is a classic Maldives profile: descend in open water to the base, then circle the thila a few times while shallowing, picking up soft corals, morays, octopus, turtles and whitetip sharks along the way.
Where it is and how deep
6.7584° N, 73.1583° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The boat drops you in open water beside the thila and you descend straight to the base at around 30 m, so have your descent sorted before you leave the surface. From the base the plan is simple: circle the thila, then circle it again a little shallower, and keep going round while shallowing, so that you see the whole formation from bottom to top rather than one face of it.
The point of the circling is the change from bottom to top. There are soft corals on the thila, including some large fans, with morays in the holes, octopus, turtles and whitetip sharks around the rock, along with various rays and the usual reef fish. The final laps bring you onto the highest point at around 14 m, and from there you leave the thila for the safety stop and the boat.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Sea turtles
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| 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 Hanimaadhoo Thila?+
The top is at around 14 m and the base at around 30 m; the dive descends to the base in open water and then circles the thila several times while shallowing.
Sources
- Hanimaadhoo Thila — Scubago
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