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
Reef
A one-way drift along the atoll's southeast outer reef
Reef
Coral blocks from 5 to 15 m above a drop-off to 30 m
Channel & pass
Collapsed reef blocks sheltering sharks in a protected channel
Manta cleaning station worked from April into November
Macro and night diving with turtles and passing mobula rays
Wreck
An artificial-reef wreck beside a hard-coral giri
Channel & pass
A channel protected for its grey reef and whitetip sharks
Cave & cavern
Soft-coral caves from 7 to 40 m along the wall above the channel
Similar dives elsewhere
Top reef at 1 m and a 25 m base with macro life, 8 minutes from the resort
Caves and overhangs north, a wall past 60 m east
Turtles and whitetips resting under a quiet 10 m pinnacle
Endemic sponge snail on a protected thila topping out at 7 m