North Malé Atoll · Maldives · Seamount · Reef
HP Reef / Rainbow Reef
Blue soft corals and dense fish life on a swim-through thila
Area photo: Genet (Diskussion) · CC BY-SA 3.0
HP Reef, also sold as Rainbow Reef and known locally as Girifushi Thila, is a current-swept thila on the south side of Girifushi island. Blue soft corals cover the rock, a swim-through cuts the reef, and the fish life is dense enough that the site rates among the most colourful dives in North Malé Atoll.
Also known as Girifushi Thila.
Where it is and how deep
4.3136° N, 73.5786° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The site is a thila on the south side of Girifushi island, and its reputation rests on a combination: an array of colour and the sheer numbers of fish, which together make it one of the highest-rated dives in North Malé. The colour comes from soft corals — numerous blue soft corals grow across the reef — and a swim-through cuts through the rock partway along.
The current is the governing condition. wannadive rates it strong, at more than 2 knots, and the catalogue page puts it plainly: the current can be strong. That moving water is what feeds the soft corals and stacks up the fish, but it also sets the plan — this is a dive to run with an operator who reads the day's flow. Maximum depth is 35 m, and visibility usually holds between 10 and 30 m.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
| 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.
Know before you go
- Current above 2 knots is common; follow the briefing, descend without delay and stay with the group so the drift stays controlled.
Questions divers ask
How deep is HP Reef?+
The maximum depth is 35 m. The colour — blue soft corals and dense fish life — is on the thila itself, and visibility usually runs 10 to 30 m.
Is HP Reef suitable for beginners?+
No. The current regularly exceeds 2 knots and the site drops to 35 m, so it suits experienced divers comfortable in strong water.
Sources
- HP Reef / Rainbow Reef — Scubago
- HP Reef — wannadive.net
- Diving sites Maldives North Male Atoll — Dive The World
More dive sites in North Malé Atoll
Seamount
Three coral blocks from 10 m, the biggest 80–100 m long
Red-buoy entries, a 6 m training plateau and a 20 m wall
Reef
House-reef wall with caves, table corals and a canyon
Mantas on the cleaning stations, May to October
Drift
Whitetip reef sharks resting on the sand below the reef
Wreck
A cargo ship lost in 1981, coral-encrusted in 35 m
Seamount
The 'fish soup' pinnacle — two thilas packed with life
Pinnacle
Schools of red and white snappers over two channel thilas
Similar dives elsewhere
A 500 m dome where grey reef and leopard sharks patrol the slopes
Seamount rock from 5 m to past 40 m, gorgonians throughout
Fusiliers roll down the slope thick enough to block the view.
A rock needle to 3 m, with a conger cave at 22 m on its east side