Meemu Atoll · Maldives · Coral garden · Reef
Picasso
Soft, leather and fan corals with sponges at 15–25 m, and no current
Area photo: Sutirtha Das wiki · CC BY-SA 4.0
Picasso is a giri west of Medhufushi that Scubago calls an easy dive site free of currents. It is dived for the coral garden between 15 and 25 m, where soft, leather and fan corals grow alongside a wide selection of sponges, and the absence of current makes it one of the gentler dives in an atoll better known for its channels.
Where it is and how deep
2.9097° N, 73.5319° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
With no current to work against, the dive is a simple descent onto the giri and a slow circuit of its sides. The coral garden that gives the site its name lies between 15 and 25 m, so the group drops to the lower edge of that band first and works along the reef with the deeper corals and sponges on one side and the reef rising on the other.
The corals are the reason to be here: soft, leather and fan corals, with a big selection of sponges among them, in a spread that Scubago describes as the site's claim to fame. Because there is nothing pushing the group along, there is time to stop at each formation. The dive finishes by rising up the giri to the shallows for the safety stop before the ascent to the boat.
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 | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
Season follows Meemu Atoll: Calmest seas and clearest water on the north-east monsoon, Nov–Apr. Sources disagree on manta timing at Mantas and More (Dec–May versus May–Dec), so do not plan a trip around it.
Questions divers ask
Is Picasso in Meemu Atoll good for beginners?+
Yes. Scubago describes it as an easy dive site free of currents, and the coral garden lies between 15 and 25 m, within Open Water limits.
What is there to see at Picasso?+
A coral garden at 15–25 m of soft, leather and fan corals with a wide selection of sponges.
Sources
- Picasso — Scubago
More dive sites in Meemu Atoll
Pinnacle
A soft-coral plateau at 10–15 m and caverns down to 30 m on one thila
Wall
Coral walls to 35 m turning into a sheer drop to the blue, cut with overhangs
Reef
Manta cleaning stations at 10–15 m, with 8–9 mantas at once on a good day
Pinnacle
A 4 m coral top, soft coral at 15–25 m and almost no current
Channel & pass
Rays and sharks on the descent to 30 m, then a soft-coral overhang on the drift
Wreck
A 30 m wooden dhoni on the sand at 20–33 m, open enough to enter
Reef
Grey reef sharks and silvertips resting on the slope at 15–25 m
Cave & cavern
A cavern about 10 m high running from 15 to 30 m
Similar dives elsewhere
Cabbage coral from 5 to 20 m with a swim-through canyon alongside
A shallow coral reef five to ten minutes off Praslin
A banana-shaped reef dived from the surface to 30 m
Sponge-studded coral slope from 4 m to 25 m, usually currentless