North Malé Atoll · Maldives · Reef
Sunlight Thila
Giant mantas over two small reefs, March to October
Area photo: Genet (Diskussion) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sunlight Thila is a formation of two small reefs that attracts giant manta rays between March and October. Between the reefs lies a 60 m sandy bottom with small coral formations and plenty of cleaner wrasses, and with an average depth of 15 m, a 17 m maximum and light current the diving is easy.
Where it is and how deep
4.3000° N, 73.5318° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The site is a formation of two small reefs, and the dive works the ground between them: a 60 m long sandy bottom carrying small coral formations and plenty of cleaner wrasses. Between March and October the formation attracts giant manta rays, and the shallow profile means you can wait for them — average depth is 15 m, the maximum 17 m.
Everything about the conditions is gentle. wannadive logs the current low, under 1 knot, and visibility good at 10 to 30 m, and with only 17 m of water even a conservative gas plan gives a long dive. When the season is on, it is manta diving without the hard work: shallow, calm and unhurried.
Marine life and season
- Manta rays
| 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.
Questions divers ask
When do mantas visit Sunlight Thila?+
The two reefs attract giant manta rays between March and October; the rest of the year the site is a calm, shallow reef dive to 17 m.
Sources
- Sunlight Thila — Scubago
- Sunlight Thila — 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
Stingrays and morays drawn to a fish-factory outflow
Seamount
Pinnacles, sea fans and fish on the thila's north side
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
Similar dives elsewhere
Two manta cleaning stations, at 13 m and 20 m, active December to April
Coral reef below the Indian subcontinent's only active volcano
Manta cleaning station worked from April into November
Cleaning station visited by migrating mantas, December to March