Lhaviyani Atoll, the area around Thin Sehli Thila

Lhaviyani Atoll · Maldives · Pinnacle

Thin Sehli Thila

Coral blocks and cleaning stations on a 5 m to 25 m mount

Area photo: asands from London, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0

A thila 10 minutes west of Le Méridien Maldives, an underwater mount that does not reach the surface. The dive begins at around 5 m and descends gradually to 25 m on all sides, past coral blocks and cleaning stations, with plenty of reef life to work through on the way round.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Thin Sehli Thila: typical dive 5–25 m (15–82 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit5 m25 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

5.2769° N, 73.5608° EPublished position for this site.

The dive

Thin Sehli Thila is a short 10-minute boat ride west of Le Méridien Maldives. A thila is the Dhivehi word for an underwater mount that does not reach the surface, and this one begins at around 5 m and descends gradually to 25 m on all sides, so the profile is a circuit: drop onto the top, head for the depth the group has planned and work your way around the reef.

Coral blocks on the reef act as cleaning stations, so pause at each block and watch for a while before moving on. The gradual descent means you can spiral up the mount as bottom time runs down, finishing on the 5 m top for the safety stop with the reef still in view below.

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Thin Sehli Thila
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PrimePrimePrimePrimeFairFairFairGoodGoodGoodGoodPrime

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.

Sources

  1. Thin Sehli Thila — Scubago

More dive sites in Lhaviyani Atoll

Pinnacle

Black coral, cracks and overhangs on an inside-atoll thila

5–30 mintermediate

Healthy hard coral from a 5 m top down to about 30 m

5–30 mintermediate

Two protected manta cleaning stations on a plateau of coral blocks

10–35 madvanced

Pinnacle

Overhangs on a 5 m to 30 m thila dived for macro life

5–30 mintermediate

Channel & pass

Grey reef sharks in schools of 20 or more on an incoming tide

to 30 madvanced

Overhangs on one side, a hard-coral garden on the other

5–30 mintermediate

Channel & pass

A 20-minute channel crossing between corners at 12–30 m

12–30 madvanced

Similar dives elsewhere

Pinnacle

Anemone Thila

Haa Alif & Haa Dhaalu Atolls · Maldives

Leopard sharks sheltering on the sand at nearly 30 m

to 30 madvanced

Pinnacle

Anga Thilas

Baa Atoll & Hanifaru Bay · Maldives

Four coral pinnacles 30–50 m apart, from 10 m down to 30 m

10–30 mintermediate

Pinnacle

Ave Maria

Praslin & La Digue · Seychelles

Granite canyons in the channel between Praslin and La Digue

5–25 mintermediate

Pinnacle

Baarah Thila

Haa Alif & Haa Dhaalu Atolls · Maldives

Up to 30 manta rays reported over one cleaning-station boulder

15–30 madvanced