South Malé Atoll · Maldives · Wreck
Rihiveli Wreck
A 45 m unidentified freighter with a chance of mantas
Area photo: Saaremees · CC BY-SA 4.0
A 45 m steel freighter on the bottom off Rihiveli in the atoll's far southwest, lying between 12 and 22 m. Nobody has published her name or how she sank; she is dived for the interesting marine life that has settled around the hull, with a stated chance of manta rays. Visibility is mostly not the best, and the current runs medium, one to two knots.
Where it is and how deep
3.8167° N, 73.4000° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The wreck is a 45 m steel freighter, unidentified — no name, build date or sinking story is on record — lying between 12 and 22 m off Rihiveli at the atoll's southwestern corner. That range keeps the whole hull inside a straightforward recreational profile, with the length of the ship giving the dive its route from one end to the other.
Temper expectations on conditions: the visibility is mostly not the best, and wannadive rates the current medium, one to two knots. The draw is the interesting marine life that has gathered around the freighter — and the stated chance, no more than that, of meeting a manta ray over the wreck.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Unidentified steel freighter
- Type
- Steel freighter
- Length
- 45 m (148 ft)
- Cause
- No published account of how or when she sank
- Lies
- Off Rihiveli in the atoll's southwest, between 12 and 22 m
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 | 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.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Rihiveli Wreck?+
The freighter lies between 12 and 22 m, a range that keeps the whole 45 m hull within an Open Water diver's reach.
Sources
- Rihiveli Wreck — Scubago
- wannadive.net — Rihiveli Wreck — wannadive.net
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