Ari & Rasdhoo Atolls · Maldives · Cave & cavern · Reef
Kuramathi Caves
Two swim-through caverns, at 18-20 m and 28-30 m
Area photo: John Hepburn · CC BY 4.0
A stretch of reef on the western side of the atoll, past the Kuramathi resort sandbank, cut with large overhangs and two caverns divers can swim through: one at 18 to 20 metres and a deeper one at 28 to 30. Whitetips, stingrays and nurse sharks use the shaded ground, and the coral on top of the reef at 5 metres is very healthy.
Where it is and how deep
4.2738° N, 72.9410° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The caverns lie on the western side of the atoll, past the Kuramathi resort sandbank. There are two of them and they set the profile: the deeper swim-through runs at 28 to 30 metres and is taken first, then the shallower one at 18 to 20 metres on the way back up. Between and around them the reef is cut with large overhangs, so much of the dive is spent in shade looking out into the light rather than out in the blue.
The shaded ground is where the animals sit. Whitetips, stingrays and nurse sharks are all found in the caverns and under the overhangs, which is reason enough to approach each one slowly and look in before swimming through. The dive finishes on top of the reef at about 5 metres, where the coral is very healthy and the shallow water makes an easy place to spend the safety stop.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Stingrays
- Pristine corals
| 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.
Know before you go
- Two of the passages are true swim-throughs rather than overhangs; single file, a light and controlled buoyancy keep silt down and fins off the coral.
Questions divers ask
How deep are the Kuramathi Caves?+
There are two swim-through caverns, one at 18 to 20 metres and the other at 28 to 30. The reef top above them is at about 5 metres, so the dive covers most of the recreational range.
Sources
- Kuramathi Caves — Scubago
More dive sites in Ari & Rasdhoo Atolls
Pinnacle
Blue sponges and black-coral overhangs on a small pinnacle
Glassfish packed into the wheelhouse of a sunken trawler
Dived day and night, with sharks working the coral
Grey reef sharks hunting in the blue around a tiny volcano-shaped top
Wreck
40 m supply boat at 20 m, sheltered enough for night dives
Wall
Wall from 4 m to past 40 m, straight off Kuramathi
Channel & pass
Advanced channel drift with sharks between 22 and 30 m
An early-morning drop into the blue for hammerheads
Similar dives elsewhere
A cavern about 10 m high running from 15 to 30 m
A cavern that surfaces in a chamber open to the sky
A 30 m swim-through tunnel at 10 m with sharks resting inside
A canyon that passes right under the barrier reef