Lhaviyani Atoll · Maldives · Pinnacle · Reef
Candice Thila
Healthy hard coral from a 5 m top down to about 30 m
Area photo: asands from London, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0
A small reef about 15 minutes north of Le Méridien Maldives, named after the British marine biologist Candice G. Gunning. The top sits at around 5 m and the reef descends to approximately 30 m, with healthy hard corals in strong colours down its sides, so it can be dived shallow or deep depending on the group.
Where it is and how deep
5.2948° N, 73.5765° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Candice Thila is a small reef with a top at around 5 m, so the descent is short: you drop onto the top of the mount and then follow its side down. The reef descends to approximately 30 m, and the profile is the usual one for a Maldivian thila, deepest first and then a gradual spiral back up around the reef as the dive goes on.
The draw here is the hard coral, which is healthy and strongly coloured across the reef slope. Work along the side of the mount at whatever depth suits the group, then finish on the 5 m top, which gives a long, easy safety stop over the coral before surfacing to the boat. The site takes its name from the British marine biologist Candice G. Gunning.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime |
Season follows Lhaviyani Atoll: Iruvai, the dry northeast monsoon (Dec–Apr), is calm and clear; the wet Hulhangu monsoon (Jun–Nov) can chop the surface but brings mantas to Fushifaru Thila, peaking Oct–Nov.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Candice Thila?+
The reef top is at around 5 m and the reef descends to approximately 30 m, so the dive can be planned shallow or deep.
Sources
- Candice Thila — Scubago
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Two tongues of reef descending to 20–22 m on the southern side
Similar dives elsewhere
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Canyons and overhangs cut between 12 and 30 m