Lhaviyani Atoll · Maldives · Pinnacle · Channel & pass
Fushifaru Thila
Two protected manta cleaning stations on a plateau of coral blocks
Photo: asands from London, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0
A pinnacle in the northeast channel of Lhaviyani Atoll, protected by the Maldives since 1995, with a reef top at about 10 m and the atoll rim dropping to 27–35 m beside it. Divers come for the two manta cleaning stations on its coral-block plateau, which draw mantas during the southwest monsoon, most reliably between May and November.
Also known as Fushivaru Thila.
Where it is and how deep
5.4944° N, 73.5217° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The boat drops you over a pinnacle sitting in the northeast channel of the atoll. The top of the reef in the centre is at about 10 m, and that is the level to settle at first: from here the site opens out into a large plateau covered in coral blocks. Those blocks are the point of the dive, because they act as cleaning stations for manta rays during the southwest monsoon, and there are two of them on the reef.
The way to dive a cleaning station is to pick a spot at the edge of the blocks, stay low and still, and let the mantas come in over the plateau to be cleaned. Between May and November, when plankton blooms are at their peak, this is a reliable site for manta encounters; the rest of the year the plateau is still the main feature, but without the guarantee of rays.
Beyond the plateau the edge of the atoll rim drops off at 27–35 m. That is the deep option for divers who want it, but it takes you well below the reef top, so most of the dive is better spent between 10 m and the shallower blocks before ascending over the pinnacle for the safety stop.
Background
Fushifaru Thila has been a protected marine area in the Maldives since 27 September 1995, listed by the Ministry of Environment as Lh. Fushifaru Thila. The protection covers a pinnacle in the northeast channel whose reef top sits at about 10 m, with a plateau of coral blocks that serve as two manta cleaning stations during the southwest monsoon.
Marine life and season
- Manta rays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good |
Mantas use the cleaning stations mainly between May and November, when plankton blooms peak; outside those months it is dived as a channel pinnacle.
Know before you go
- The rim beside the pinnacle drops to 27–35 m: set a depth limit before descending and stay at the 10 m reef top level while waiting at the cleaning stations.
Questions divers ask
When is the best time to see mantas at Fushifaru Thila?+
Between May and November, when plankton blooms are at their peak and reef mantas visit the two cleaning stations on the plateau during the southwest monsoon.
How deep is Fushifaru Thila?+
The top of the reef in the centre is at about 10 m, and the edge of the atoll rim next to the pinnacle drops off at 27–35 m.
Sources
- Fushifaru Thila — Scubago
- Lh. Fushifaru Thila — Maldives Ministry of Environment - Protected Areas
- Diving sites Maldives - Northern Atolls - Lhaviyani Atoll — Dive The World
Photo credits
- A reef manta ray glides head-on over the coral-block plateau at Fushifaru Thila by asands from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Overhangs on a 5 m to 30 m thila dived for macro life
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Two tongues of reef descending to 20–22 m on the southern side
Similar dives elsewhere
Round channel thila at the atoll's eastern end, 5 m down to 35 m
Ocean thila in the middle of a channel, from 10 m to 40 m
Up to 30 manta rays reported over one cleaning-station boulder
Ocean-facing pinnacle at the mouth of Bathala channel