Haa Alif & Haa Dhaalu Atolls · Maldives · Reef
Muraidhoo Corner
A large 'aquarium' section plus soft-coral canyons and overhangs
Area photo: Kirill Flerov · CC BY 3.0
A reef corner off Muraidhoo in Haa Alif that starts in shallow water and goes slowly down to 20 m, and to 30 m in some areas. The highlight is a large 'aquarium' section thick with fish, with small canyons and large overhangs full of soft corals. In normal conditions it is a very easy dive; in strong current it becomes quite challenging.
Where it is and how deep
6.8313° N, 73.1689° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The reef starts in shallow water, so the descent is gentle, and it goes slowly down to 20 m, reaching 30 m only in some areas. How the dive runs depends on the day: in normal conditions it is a very easy reef dive that you can take at your own pace, but when a strong current is running the corner turns into a challenging dive, so the plan on the day depends on the flow.
The large 'aquarium' section is the highlight and is where the schools gather: snapper, jacks and fusiliers, with sharks, turtles, napoleon wrasse, batfish and eagle rays moving through. Between the fish, the reef is cut by small canyons and large overhangs full of soft corals, which are worth a torch and a slow look. Finish by working back up the slope to the shallow reef for the safety stop.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
- Trevally & jacks
- Sea turtles
- Napoleon wrasse
- Eagle rays
| 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
- Strong currents turn an easy dive into a hard one: check the flow at the corner before committing and stay with the guide's plan.
Sources
- Muraidhoo Corner — Scubago
More dive sites in Haa Alif & Haa Dhaalu Atolls
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A 60 m wide cave mouth with sleeping nurse sharks inside
Wreck
Four chimneys stand out of the water above an 80 m wreck
Pinnacle
Open-water descent to 30 m, then circle the thila upward
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