Ari & Rasdhoo Atolls · Maldives · Pinnacle · Reef
Kandholhudhoo Thila
Shallow top reef from 5 m, with anthias over the safety stop
Area photo: John Hepburn · CC BY 4.0
A small thila northwest of Kandolhu resort in North Ari, described as suitable for all levels of diver. The top reef starts as shallow as 5 metres and the sides fall to a sandy bottom at 25 to 30. Overhangs shelter groupers, sweetlips and soldierfish, and eagle rays or mobulas turn up with some luck.
Where it is and how deep
4.0035° N, 72.8840° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
This is a small pinnacle, so the dive is a circuit rather than a route. The top reef begins as shallow as 5 metres and the sides drop to a sandy bottom at 25 to 30 metres, which means the depth is yours to choose: a lap of the deeper base first, then a slow spiral up the flanks as the dive goes on. The size of the thila is what makes it work for all levels of diver.
The overhangs are the places to slow down. They shelter a mix of groupers, sweetlips and soldierfish sitting out of the light, and out in the blue there is a chance of eagle rays or mobulas passing. The ending is unusually pleasant for an atoll site: with the top reef so shallow, the safety stop can often be done up there, in an orange cloud of anthias, instead of hanging in open water.
Marine life and season
- Eagle rays
- Mobula rays
- Groupers
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime |
Season follows Ari & Rasdhoo Atolls: The seas are calmest from December to May, but manta numbers peak from August to November.
Questions divers ask
Is Kandholhudhoo Thila good for beginners?+
The source describes it as suitable for all levels, and the top reef starts at about 5 metres, so a shallow lap of the pinnacle is well within an Open Water diver's range. The sandy base at 25 to 30 metres is for more experienced divers.
Sources
- Kandholhudhoo Thila — Scubago
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