Vaavu Atoll · Maldives · Channel & pass · Cave & cavern · Wall · Drift
Fotteyo Kandu
Schools of grey reef sharks in a channel cut with caves from 8 to 40 m
Area photo: TANAKA Juuyoh (%u7530%u4E2D%u5341%u6D0B) · CC BY 2.0
A channel on the eastern edge of Vaavu, cut into what Wikipedia describes as the largest reef in the Maldives, and rated by Scubago as one of the best dive sites in the country. It is a wall-and-drift dive through a cave system between 8 and 40 m in strong current, with schools of grey reef sharks in the channel and whitetips along the reef.
Also known as Fotheyo Kandu.
Where it is and how deep
3.4884° N, 73.6994° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Fotteyo is dived as a channel drift: you enter at the mouth of the kandu and work along the reef wall with the current, which PADI rates as strong and reserves for advanced and technical divers. The reef starts at 8 m and the wall runs down to 40 m, with the cave system cut into it continuing to around 50 m, a depth that is technical territory and not part of the recreational profile. PADI gives visibility of 15 to 30 m.
The channel is the reason to come. Scubago describes schools of grey reef sharks in the flow and whitetip reef sharks along the reef itself, and tells you to look out for the elusive hammerhead, so the pattern is to hold on the reef edge where the grey reef sharks gather, then let the current take you along the wall. Both sources are blunt about who this is for: divers who are experienced with strong currents and certified for deep diving. PADI gives November to April as the calmest conditions.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Hammerheads
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
Season follows Vaavu Atoll: November to April brings the strongest channel flow and the clearest water; mantas pass through on plankton-rich currents from May to September, peaking May to July.
Know before you go
- Strong channel current: PADI rates it strong and limits the site to advanced and technical divers, so stay with the guide's line on the reef edge rather than drifting into open water.
- The caves continue to around 50 m, well past the 40 m limit of the site profile; they are for technical divers only and recreational groups stay out of them.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Fotteyo Kandu?+
The dive runs between 8 and 40 m along the channel wall. The caves continue to around 50 m, but that section is for technical divers only.
What certification do I need for Fotteyo Kandu?+
Scubago says the site is only for divers experienced with strong currents and certified in deep diving; PADI rates the current as strong and the site for advanced and technical divers only.
When is the best time to dive Fotteyo Kandu?+
PADI gives November to April as the best season, with the calmest conditions in the channel.
Sources
- Fotteyo Kandu - Scubago — Scubago
- Fotteyo Kandu Dive Site - PADI — PADI
- Vaavu Atoll - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
More dive sites in Vaavu Atoll
Night
Hundreds of nurse sharks feeding under a resort pier at night in 3 to 5 m
Pinnacle
A circular giri you can swim right round, top at 1 m and coral to 20 m
Wall
Wide soft-coral overhangs under table corals along a 4 km back reef
Channel & pass
Overhangs and cavities from 10 m to beyond 30 m on the channel's south side
Channel & pass
Sharks holding mid-channel in the drift that gave the site its name
Similar dives elsewhere
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A liveaboard channel averaging 20 m with a 40 m maximum
Channel & pass
Naiqoro Passage
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