South Malé Atoll · Maldives · Channel & pass · Drift
Embudu Channel
A channel protected for its grey reef and whitetip sharks
Area photo: Saaremees · CC BY-SA 4.0
Embudu Channel, at the northern edge of South Malé Atoll, is a marine protected area designated for the population of grey reef and whitetip sharks it supports. The dive runs as a drift along the channel, with the sharks at around 30 m on the drop-off and Napoleon wrasse and marbled grouper tucked into caves. Average depth is 18 m, maximum 31 m, and wannadive rates the current strong, above two knots.
Also known as Embudhoo Kandu, Embudhoo Channel.
Where it is and how deep
4.0879° N, 73.5347° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive works the drop-off at the channel's edge. Grey reef and whitetip sharks are encountered at approximately 30 m, and they are the reason the site exists in its current form — the channel was designated a marine protected area because of the shark population it supports. Between shark passes there is structure to work: Napoleon wrasse and marbled groupers shelter in the caves cut into the channel.
This is a strong-current site — wannadive rates it above two knots — and the 18 m average depth hides the fact that the animals sit near the 31 m maximum. It runs as a drift, planned around the water rather than against it, with the deep section at the drop-off treated as the core of the dive and the shallower channel reef as the way out.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Napoleon wrasse
- Groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
Season follows South Malé Atoll: The dry northeast monsoon, late December to May, is the main season; mantas clean May to August and whale sharks are reported in August on the outer reef.
Know before you go
- Current rated strong, above two knots — the dive runs as a drift, and the deep shark section at the drop-off needs a plan rather than improvisation.
Questions divers ask
How deep are the sharks at Embudu Channel?+
Grey reef and whitetip sharks are encountered at approximately 30 m on the drop-off. The site averages 18 m and has a maximum depth of 31 m.
Why is Embudu Channel protected?+
It is a marine protected area because of the population of grey reef and whitetip sharks it supports; Napoleon wrasse and marbled grouper also shelter in its caves.
Sources
- Embudu Channel — Scubago
- wannadive.net — Embudu Channel — wannadive.net
- Maldives South Male Atoll dive sites — Dive The World
More dive sites in South Malé Atoll
Drift
One of the best shark shows around Malé on the right incoming current
Channel & pass
Collapsed reef blocks sheltering sharks in a protected channel
Channel & pass
An overhang whose ceiling opens to a window at 10 m
Pinnacle
A current-swept thila where barracuda stack in groups
Wreck
An artificial-reef wreck beside a hard-coral giri
Manta cleaning station worked from April into November
Reef
Coral blocks from 5 to 15 m above a drop-off to 30 m
Reef
A one-way drift along the atoll's southeast outer reef
Similar dives elsewhere
Advanced channel drift with sharks between 22 and 30 m
Sharks holding mid-channel in the drift that gave the site its name
Drift the channel corner on either tide, 5 to 25 m
Overhangs and cavities from 10 m to beyond 30 m on the channel's south side