Raa Atoll · Maldives · Reef
Thiling Faru
Manta cleaning station on a sandy corner among coral blocks
Area photo: Samee Shafeeg · CC BY 3.0
Thiling Faru is a reef corner in Raa Atoll, about 20 minutes by boat from You & Me Maldives, with a manta cleaning station on a sandy patch surrounded by coral blocks. The top reef lies at 10 m and a coral slope runs down in two steps, first to 15 m and then to 30 m, so a group can split the dive between the slope and the wait at the station.
Where it is and how deep
5.6293° N, 72.8308° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Thiling Faru is reached in about 20 minutes by boat. Descend onto the top reef at 10 m and follow the coral slope, which steps down first to 15 m and then to 30 m. The deeper part of the slope is where to use bottom time early in the dive, before working back up toward the corner so that no-decompression time is not the thing that ends the wait for mantas.
On the corner a sandy area surrounded by coral blocks is the manta cleaning station. Settle on the sand at the edge of the blocks rather than on them, keep low and wait; mantas on the station pass over the blocks to be cleaned and will tolerate a still group far better than one that moves toward them. Ascend up the slope to the 10 m top reef for the safety stop.
Marine life and season
- Manta rays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime |
Season follows Raa Atoll: Dry December to May brings glassy seas and the clearest water; June can be too choppy for boats, and the windier months that follow bring plankton and mantas.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Thiling Faru?+
The top reef is at 10 m and the coral slope steps down to 15 m and then to 30 m. The manta cleaning station is on a sandy corner among coral blocks.
Sources
- Thiling Faru — Scubago
More dive sites in Raa Atoll
Pinnacle
A broken rock in many blocks, with everything between 18 m and 30 m
Reef
Healthy coral and macro life on an easy reef from 2 m to 20 m
Pinnacle
Top reef at 1 m and a 25 m base with macro life, 8 minutes from the resort
Reef
Gentle coral slope with overhangs, 8 m to 20 m
Reef
Two manta cleaning stations, at 13 m and 20 m, active December to April
Wall
Straight drop from 10 m to 35 m with soft-coral overhangs at 12-18 m
Pinnacle
Overhangs on the channel side shelter stingrays and nurse sharks
Pinnacle
Round channel thila at the atoll's eastern end, 5 m down to 35 m
Similar dives elsewhere
Mantas at a cleaning station from December till April
Mantas on the cleaning stations, May to October
Mantas cleaning and feeding from December to April
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Manta cleaning stations at 10–15 m, with 8–9 mantas at once on a good day