Lhaviyani Atoll · Maldives · Channel & pass
Maduvvari Dhekunu Kann
A strong-current channel corner reaching 30 m
Area photo: asands from London, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0
A channel corner a 25-minute boat ride west of Le Méridien Maldives, which the dive centre there lists among its best sites. Currents can be strong here and depths reach 30 m, so it is dived as a current dive rather than a gentle reef tour, with the guide checking the flow before entry.
Where it is and how deep
5.2766° N, 73.4988° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Maduvvari Dhekunu Kann is a channel corner, where the reef turns into a kandu (channel), and the dive is built around the current that runs across it. After the 25-minute boat ride the guide checks the flow before you enter, because currents here can be strong. You descend on the corner and drop to the depth the group has planned, with the reef reaching down to 30 m.
Once on the corner, hold position on the reef edge facing into the current, using a reef hook or a sheltered spot behind the coral, and let the moving water bring the action to you. When bottom time or gas runs down, let go, drift with the flow along the reef into the shallower water and ascend on a surface marker for the boat to follow.
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.
Know before you go
- Currents at the corner can be strong: carry a reef hook and surface marker, enter only after the guide has checked the flow, and do not chase the 30 m depth against it.
Questions divers ask
How far is Maduvvari Dhekunu Kann from Le Méridien Maldives?+
It is a 25-minute boat ride west of the resort, on a channel corner where currents can be strong and depths reach 30 m.
Sources
- Maduvvari Dhekunu Kann — Scubago
More dive sites in Lhaviyani Atoll
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Black coral, cracks and overhangs on an inside-atoll thila
Pinnacle
Healthy hard coral from a 5 m top down to about 30 m
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Coral blocks and cleaning stations on a 5 m to 25 m mount
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Overhangs on one side, a hard-coral garden on the other
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Two tongues of reef descending to 20–22 m on the southern side
Pinnacle
Overhangs on a 5 m to 30 m thila dived for macro life
Channel & pass
A 20-minute channel crossing between corners at 12–30 m
Two protected manta cleaning stations on a plateau of coral blocks
Similar dives elsewhere
Sharks, jacks and eagle rays on the channel-mouth current
Drift the channel corner on either tide, 5 to 25 m
Rays and sharks on the descent to 30 m, then a soft-coral overhang on the drift
Advanced channel drift with sharks between 22 and 30 m