Vaavu Atoll · Maldives · Channel & pass · Drift
Miyaru Kandu
Sharks holding mid-channel in the drift that gave the site its name
Area photo: TANAKA Juuyoh (%u7530%u4E2D%u5341%u6D0B) · CC BY 2.0
Miyaru Kandu, the Shark Channel, is a drift dive through a channel in the northeast of Vaavu Atoll to a maximum of 30 m. The name comes from the sharks that gather in the middle of the channel; grey reef sharks are the common sighting, with whitetip reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse and the occasional eagle ray passing along the reef.
Also known as Bodu Miyaru Kandu, Shark Channel.
Where it is and how deep
3.5979° N, 73.5035° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
This is a drift dive, and the current decides how it runs. Scubago says the site is more suited to advanced divers because you can encounter strong currents, but that on days with less flow the channel can also be dived by less experienced divers, so your operator will pick the tide. You descend on the channel reef and work along it with the water to a maximum depth of 30 m, keeping the reef on one side and the open channel on the other.
The sharks are in the middle of the channel: that is where Miyaru Kandu gets its name, and grey reef sharks are the common sighting there. Along the reef itself keep an eye out for whitetip reef sharks and Napoleon wrasse, and an eagle ray may glide past in the blue. The drift carries you along the reef and through the channel until the group ascends together.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Napoleon wrasse
- Eagle rays
| 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 currents on running tides: Scubago rates the site for advanced divers in those conditions, and less experienced divers should only be taken in when the flow is lighter.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Miyaru Kandu?+
PADI lists a maximum depth of 30 m for the channel; the dive is a drift along the channel reef.
Is Miyaru Kandu suitable for less experienced divers?+
Scubago rates it for advanced divers because of strong currents, but says it can also be dived by less experienced divers when there is less current.
Sources
- Miyaru Kandu - Scubago — Scubago
- Miyaru Kandu Dive Site - PADI — PADI
- Diving Vaavu Atoll - Liveaboard.com — Liveaboard.com
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
Channel & pass
Schools of grey reef sharks in a channel cut with caves from 8 to 40 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
Similar dives elsewhere
Advanced channel drift with sharks between 22 and 30 m
Drift the channel corner on either tide, 5 to 25 m
A channel protected for its grey reef and whitetip sharks
Grey reef sharks in schools of 20 or more on an incoming tide