South Malé Atoll · Maldives · Channel & pass · Drift
Guraidhoo Corner
Collapsed reef blocks sheltering sharks in a protected channel
Area photo: Saaremees · CC BY-SA 4.0
Guraidhoo Corner sits on the inside of the entry to Guraidhoo Kandu, a channel whose entire length is a marine protected area. Huge blocks of collapsed reef top litter the entry and shelter reef fish, moray eels and passing sharks. The site averages 20 m and drops to 50 m at its deepest, with currents strong enough that it is treated as a dive for advanced, experienced divers.
Also known as Guraidhoo Kandu South, Guraidhoo Channel.
Where it is and how deep
3.8858° N, 73.4689° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The site is on the inside of the channel entry, and the terrain is its signature: huge blocks, collapsed sections of the old reef top, stacked where the channel begins. They offer perfect shelter to many fish and moray eels, and sharks cruise by along the channel edge. The average working depth is 20 m; the channel itself bottoms out at 50 m, well below where a recreational drift should be spending its time.
Current decides everything here. Wannadive logs it at one to two knots on an average day, but the currents run strong, and the site is rated appropriate only for advanced, experienced divers — this is a channel that gets dived when the water is right rather than on a fixed schedule. The protection matters too: the entire channel is a marine protected area, which underpins the fish and shark life gathered around the blocks.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
| 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
- Strong currents through the channel entry — the site is treated as suitable only for advanced, experienced divers and is dived on the guide's call.
Questions divers ask
Is Guraidhoo Corner a marine protected area?+
Yes — the entire Guraidhoo channel is a marine protected area, and the collapsed reef blocks at the entry shelter reef fish, moray eels and cruising sharks.
How difficult is Guraidhoo Corner?+
Currents here are strong, making it a dive site appropriate only for advanced, experienced divers. The average depth is 20 m, but the channel drops to 50 m at its deepest.
Sources
- Guraidhoo Corner — Scubago
- wannadive.net — Guraidhoo South Corner — wannadive.net
- Diving in the Maldives — Wikipedia
- 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
A channel protected for its grey reef and whitetip sharks
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
Schools of grey reef sharks in a channel cut with caves from 8 to 40 m
Overhangs and cavities from 10 m to beyond 30 m on the channel's south side
Grey reef sharks in schools of 20 or more on an incoming tide
Grey reef and whitetip sharks over a 14–16 m channel floor