North Malé Atoll · Maldives · Reef · Drift
Fairytale Reef
A gentle drift along a reef with big reef fish
Area photo: Genet (Diskussion) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Fairytale Reef is a reef in North Malé Atoll dived as a gentle drift, with currents usually under 1 knot. The reef runs to 30 m, and divers come for the big reef fish and the setting of the reef itself.
Where it is and how deep
4.5573° N, 73.6112° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive drifts along the reef in a current of under 1 knot, with the reef reaching 30 m and visibility usually between 10 and 30 m. Big fish and the setting of the reef itself are the draws on this drift.
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 North Malé Atoll: December to April is dry with gentle breezes; late May to July is the weakest stretch, when most liveaboards leave the atoll.
Sources
- Fairytale Reef - Diving in North Male Atoll — Wannadive.net
More dive sites in North Malé Atoll
Reef
The standard check dive, an hour from Malé City
One of the first dive sites ever found in the Maldives
Reef
House-reef wall with caves, table corals and a canyon
Mantas cleaning and feeding from December to April
Reef
Stingrays and morays drawn to a fish-factory outflow
A long, thin island reef with pelagic fish along its edge
Wreck
An upright 16 m tug covered in soft and black corals
Seamount
Blue soft corals and dense fish life on a swim-through thila
Similar dives elsewhere
A canyon cut diagonally through the middle of a channel reef
Manta cleaning stations at 10–15 m, with 8–9 mantas at once on a good day
A one-way drift along the atoll's southeast outer reef
An open-water-friendly pass with turtles and eagle rays