Lhaviyani Atoll · Maldives · Channel & pass · Drift
Meyyafushi Kandu
A 20-minute channel crossing between corners at 12–30 m
Area photo: asands from London, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0
A classic Maldivian channel crossing for experienced divers in Lhaviyani Atoll. With the right current the dive starts from either corner of the kandu and crosses the open channel in only 20 minutes, at depths ranging from 12 to 30 m.
Where it is and how deep
5.4395° N, 73.6163° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Meyyafushi Kandu is dived only with the right current, and the direction of the flow decides which corner you start from. You descend on one corner of the channel and, once the group is together, leave the reef and let the current carry you across the open kandu. The crossing itself takes only about 20 minutes, with depths ranging from 12 to 30 m depending on where in the water column you ride the flow.
The far corner of the channel is where the crossing ends: you regain the reef there, work up its slope into shallower water and finish the dive on that side of the kandu. Because the whole dive is a drift in open water, the boat follows the group and the ascent is made under a surface marker rather than back at the entry point.
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
- The crossing is a drift across open channel water: dive it only on the right current, stay close as a group, and deploy a surface marker before ascending so the boat can follow.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Meyyafushi Kandu?+
The channel crossing runs at depths from 12 to 30 m, starting from either corner depending on the current and taking about 20 minutes.
Sources
- Meyyafushi Kandu — Scubago
More dive sites in Lhaviyani Atoll
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Black coral, cracks and overhangs on an inside-atoll thila
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Healthy hard coral from a 5 m top down to about 30 m
Two protected manta cleaning stations on a plateau of coral blocks
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Overhangs on a 5 m to 30 m thila dived for macro life
Channel & pass
Grey reef sharks in schools of 20 or more on an incoming tide
Channel & pass
A strong-current channel corner reaching 30 m
Pinnacle
Overhangs on one side, a hard-coral garden on the other
Pinnacle
Two tongues of reef descending to 20–22 m on the southern side
Similar dives elsewhere
Drift the channel corner on either tide, 5 to 25 m
A channel protected for its grey reef and whitetip sharks
Overhangs and cavities from 10 m to beyond 30 m on the channel's south side
Sharks holding mid-channel in the drift that gave the site its name