South Malé Atoll · Maldives · Pinnacle · Reef
Vaggiri
Overhangs, small caves and swim-throughs on a low-current giri
Photo: John Hepburn · CC BY 4.0
A giri with a formation described as very unique: overhangs, small caves and swim-throughs stacked between 15 and 25 m, dived in low current. It is pitched as a site for every diver — good for long dives and for those who love small life, and a well-suited place to try deeper dives for the first time.
Also known as Villivaru Giri.
Where it is and how deep
3.9041° N, 73.4444° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The giri's formation carries the dive: overhangs, small caves and swim-throughs, arranged so you can circle the pinnacle and duck through or under the structure as you go. The average depth is 15 m and the base sits at 25 m, so most of the interest stays within an easy recreational band, and the low current — under a knot — lets you take it slowly.
That is who the site is for: every diver, but especially those who love to see small life and want longer dives. The gentle conditions and 25 m floor also make it a natural place to try out deeper dives for the first time, with the shallower structure of the giri to come back up along.
Marine life and season
- Macro critters
| 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.
Photos from Vaggiri
John Hepburn · CC BY 4.0
Sources
- Vaggiri — Scubago
- wannadive.net — Villivaru Giri — wannadive.net
Photo credits
- Painted spiny lobster with long white antennae tucked into a reef crevice underwater by John Hepburn, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dark many-rayed feather star with curled arms clinging to coral underwater by John Hepburn, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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
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
Similar dives elsewhere
Turtles and whitetips resting under a quiet 10 m pinnacle
Endemic sponge snail on a protected thila topping out at 7 m
Caves and overhangs north, a wall past 60 m east
Top reef at 1 m and a 25 m base with macro life, 8 minutes from the resort