Rasdhoo Atoll

Rasdhoo Atoll

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SHARK TALES
IDEAL FOR: medium expertise divers
DEPTH: from 18 mt to 30 mt. The diving session will take place inside the 30 mt.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: hammerhead sharks
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 10 minutes by slow boat (2 minutes by fast boat).
NOTES: Shark Tales is one of the most famous sites in Maldives to dive with hammerhead sharks.

EDGE OF SURPRISE
IDEAL FOR: all divers
DEPTH: from 18 mt to 30 mt. The diving session will take place inside the 30 mt.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: school of Jacks, Grey, white-tip, black-tip sharks, Napoleon fishes, turtles, varieties of Reef Fish
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 10 minutes by slow boat (2 minutes by fast boat).
NOTES: Edge of Surprise is famous for large schools of fishes.

BODUGA (also known as BIG BLOCK)
IDEAL FOR: all divers
DEPTH: from 2 mt to 30 mt. The diving session will take place inside the 30 mt.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: white-tip sharks, jackfishes, fusiliers, stingrays and leopard sharks
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 15 minutes by slow boat (4 minutes by fast boat).
NOTES: Boduga means Big Block (bodu-ga) in the Maldivian language of “Dhivehi” and indeed a large coral block sits just 2m under the surface at the end of the island of Kuramathi near the sandbank. This block is enveloped in reef fish. Descending from the block, one finds a sandy plateau at 25m where coral blocks litter the floor. Here we can often spot white-tips and jackfishes chasing fusiliers and stingrays or a leopard sharks resting on the sandy bottom. Eagle rays often pass in the blue or circle in the mildly turbulent current sometimes found here. Deeper a large overhang is found at 30m. The coral blocks mounted on the plateau are full of fishlife varying from sweetlips, to snappers to groupers and other species. Once we leave the plateau, the dive develops into a steep wall dive along which we drift with the current and keep our eyes open for sharks and rays in the blue and morays and turtles sheltering on the reef. The dive is suitable for all levels as ultimately this is a wall dive starting at 5m, but open water divers will remain shallower and not descend to the plateau.

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NORTH CHANNELL
IDEAL FOR: all divers
DEPTH: from 5 mt to 20 mt
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: Mantas – during the season -, school of jackfish, Napoleon fishes, white tip sharks, groupers and, occasionally, grey reef shark, honeycomb moray eels and more
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 20 minutes by fast boat.
NOTES: North Channel is located about twenty minutes by boat from Rasdhoo Island and during the season is one of our best spot for mantas. The channel is relatively shallow and we rarely dive deeper than 20 meters here so it is in range for competent open water divers and much of the dive is spent at between 10 and 15 meters. Nevertheless the current can run hard here so choosing the right time to visit is important. Mantas can be seen at several shallow cleaning stations in the channel or on a massive thila named Veligandu Thila which borders the Veligandu side of the channel and can offer an exciting dive by itself. If manta season has come and gone, the channel is still a great dive where divers can find a huge school of jackfish, many Napoleons and groupers, white tip sharks and the occasional grey reef shark, honeycomb moray eels, stingrays, lionfish, leaf fish and an amazing variety of brightly painted reef fish.

RASDHOO
IDEAL FOR: all divers
DEPTH: from 2 mt to 25 mt.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: Mantas – during the season -, stingrays, white tip sharks, Jackfish, large diamond rays and hawksbill turtles
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 5 minutes by slow boat (2 minutes by fast boat).
NOTES: Rasdhoo is an interesting site with the wall of the island of Rasdhoo on one side and massive coral blocks (or thilas) mounted on the outside steep drop-off of the atoll. These two features create a corridor of sand between the inner reef and outer thilas, in places only 20 meters wide. The aqua dynamics of this corridor seem to attract mantas in season, and on the sandy bottom we often find resting stingrays and white tip sharks.The thilas provide encounters with hunting jacks and trevally, white-tip and grey reef sharks, eagle rays and occasionally large diamond rays. The individual thilas are inhabited by a beautiful resident blue ribbon eel, mantis shrimp and many morays and various reef fish. Napoleons are often spotted on Rasdhoo along with hawksbill turtles, plentiful sweetlips and snappers.

RASDHOO CHANNEL
IDEAL FOR: medium expertise divers
DEPTH: from 22 mt. The diving session will take place inside the 30 mt.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: grey reef sharks, white tips sharks, stingrays, Napoleon fishes, turtles and eagle rays
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 10 minutes by slow boat (4 minutes by fast boat).
NOTES: Rasdhoo Channel is a big scenery, big fishes, advanced channel crossing between Rasdhoo and Kuramathi. An excellent dive with the right conditions – ideally with medium current pushing mainly across and slightly in – to provide good visibility and an easy passage drifting from one thila to the next. These thilas are huge coral blocks which are mounted on the 30 meter sandy bottom of the channels outer edge before it drops into the open ocean and a depth of almost 200 meters. The top side of these large thilas is found between 22 and 27 meters so it is a deep dive and a great dive on nitrox. Rasdhoo Channel often features grey reef sharks, white tips sharks, stingrays, Napoleons fishes, turtles, eagle rays, lots of big groupers, many large snappers and sometimes you really do not know where to look. Even on quieter days, the channel is a memorable dive just for the impressive landscape of the thilas and the sand between them and there is somehow an odd feeling of accomplishment in achieving the crossing from one island to the other.

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FAN REEF
IDEAL FOR: all divers
DEPTH: from 2 mt. The diving session will take place inside the 30 mt.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: eagle rays, turtles, Napoleon fishes, barracudas, white tip and grey reef sharks, stingrays or a leopard shark
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 15 minutes by slow boat (5 minutes by fast boat).
NOTES: Fan Reef is a great dive and divers are often amazed by what they can see just two minutes. Fan reef is situated on one corner of Kuramathi island and if the current is running west we often jump in the narrow sand patch between Kuramathi house reef and the first thila of Rasdhoo Channel. This is an excellent point to start the dive as even though it is somewhat current exposed, this small area often provides an immediate sighting upon descent either of eagle rays, napoleon, barracudas, white tip and grey reef sharks, stingrays or a leopard shark and the descent with good visibility can open up a magical panorama below you. Fan reef is an easy wall dive and so is perfect for beginners and open water divers and most of the good stuff can be seen at shallow depths. However it is also a dive much appreciated by experienced divers and photographers. It is not a straight wall and features several large bays, a spectacular plateau and craggy coral blocks with overhangs, cracks and crevices. In the bays we often find white-tips sleeping, black tips patrolling and a leopard shark or two dozing. Eagle rays and tuna often fly by or circle in the bays and horse-eye jacks hunt fusiliers and other small fish with astonishing speed and agility. The shallow reef top at the eastern end is bedecked with huge healthy table corals and stunning reef fish. Up to a dozen semi-mature black tip reef sharks (1.2 to 1.4 meter) often circle on a highly photogenic shallow plateau and make this dive a thrilling experience, even if they are still juveniles – they are not shy! Turtles, napoleons and stingrays are often seen in the area too.

CHANNELING HAPPYNESS
IDEAL FOR: medium expertise divers
DEPTH: from 25 mt to 30 mt. The diving session will take place inside the 30 mt.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: all type of sharks, napoleon and school of fish.
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 20 minutes by slow boat (8 minutes by fast boat).
NOTES: Channeling Happyness dive with mild to strong dive, ideal for drift diving.

MANTA BLOCK (also known as MANTA WASH)
IDEAL FOR: all divers
DEPTH: maximum dive depth is 12 meters.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: Mantas
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 20 minutes by slow boat (8 minutes by fast boat).
NOTES: Manta Block is a manta cleaning station inside North Channel; the past couple of years during the manta season all year we have always found mantas being cleaned on this large single coral block. The bottom here lies at just 13 meters, but provides for spectacular close encounters with large rays and is a favourite of many divers irrespective of experience level. We often have current here as even though the block lies deep inside the channel, at this relatively shallow depth the water movement is still notable.

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VELIGANDU NORTH
IDEAL FOR: all divers
DEPTH: from 3 mt to 30 mt. The diving session will take place inside the 30 mt.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: ghost pipe fish, leaf fish, different types of morays, turtles, Napoleon fishes and, during the season, mantas
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 15 minutes by slow boat (4 minutes by fast boat).
NOTES: Veligandu North is a finger-like reef protruding out of the island of Veligandu. A favourite of some of our dive guides because of the marine life that sharp-eyed divers can find and photograph there. We travel a mere 15 minutes to reach the site on our fast comfortable dhoni and we dive on the outside edge of the finger. The top of the reef lies at between 3 and 6 meters and once below the reef top, the current runs reef parallel and we enjoy an easy drift dive. The reef contains many small overhangs and it is within these overhangs that we can usually find several members of the rare ghost pipe fish family and leaf fish family. This reef is also “moray city” as it is full with many different species of moray, the most spectacular being the honeycomb moray or the white mouth moray. In addition, with a little luck we find feeding turtles, Napoleon fishes and a few white tip sharks as we progress along the reef. In season mantas or mobulas are also regularly sighted. The dive is suitable for all levels and the most interesting marine life is found between 8 and 18 meters though the reef descends to between 35 and 40 meters before reaching a scrubby plateau.

VELIGANDU OUTER REEF
IDEAL FOR: all divers
DEPTH: from 5 mt to 20 mt.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: turtles, Dogtooth Tuna, sweetlips and a lot of reef fishes
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 20 minutes by slow boat (8 minutes by fast boat).
NOTES: Easy dive site, dive is along a wall and ideal for fun dive.

VELIGANDU EAST
IDEAL FOR: all divers
DEPTH: from 5 mt to 25 mt.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: Macro organism
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 15 minutes by slow boat (5 minutes by fast boat).
NOTES: Rich coral life with small overhangs with rich macro organisms such as nudibranch, mantashrimp, etc..

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DESERT ISLAND CORNER (also known as MADIVARU CORNER)
IDEAL FOR: medium expertise divers
DEPTH: from 15 mt to 30 mt. The diving session will take place inside the 30 mt.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: grey reef sharks, mobula, eagle rays, Napoleon fishes, turtles and reef fishes
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 10 minutes by slow boat (04 minutes by fast boat).
NOTES: Famous of bigger marine lives.

HAMMERHEAD SHIVER
IDEAL FOR: expert divers
DEPTH: from 25 mt to 30 mt. The diving session will take place inside the 30 mt.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: Hammerhead Sharks
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 10 minutes by slow boat (4 minutes by fast boat).
NOTES: diving with Hammerhead sharks is the island’s specialty! World famous Hammerhead Shark Point is situated a mere five minutes boat ride from Rasdhoo island, and we make this advanced dive at least three times a week. It is one of the few remaining places left in the world where you can still see these magnificent animals. Nevertheless, you still have to get up early if you want to dive with the hammerheads. The best time is around sunrise which means about 6.00 am! It’s a spectacular dive and there is something special about jumping into the 29° water in the soft light of dawn and letting yourself descend 30 meters into the blue. The sparkling blue plancton lights our path and the surgeonfish accompany us as we hover in the deep waiting for the hammerheads (up to 4 meters long) to appear from the depths. If you see a large hammerhead up close and personal, the image will probably remain with you long after your holiday is over. Even if you are unlucky and the hammerheads decide not to show, most divers still find this dive a fascinating experience.

MADIVARU
IDEAL FOR: all divers
DEPTH: from 15 mt to 30 mt. The diving session will take place inside the 30 mt.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: school of grey reef sharks, large dogtooth tunas, schools of eagle rays and mobulas, jack-fish, sting-rays, Napoleon fishes, barracuda and, during the season, mantas
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 10 minutes by slow boat (4 minutes by fast boat).
NOTES: Madivaru is a spectacular dive site due to both the topography of the reef and the marine life inhabiting it. This horseshoe-shaped reef structure lies next to the island of Madivaru and the island wall makes up part of the divesite rising to a few meters below the surface. The top of the outer reef lies between 15 and 22 meters and at depth features overhangs and promontories. Healthy corals are plentiful and a large sand patch at 26 is a central feature of the dive site. Madivaru is always a great dive, some dives are just more breathtaking than others. Here we can often find a school of grey reef sharks, large dogtooth tunas, schools of eagle rays and mobulas, large schools of trevally and jacks, white tip reef sharks, sting rays, a school of barracuda, mantas in season, napoleons fishes and turtles. Very occasionally we also have dolphins sucking garden eels out of the sand like spaghetti, the odd guitar shark, a few scalloped hammerheads or a lone great hammerhead, a few silvertips and almost anything else you can think of big or small that lives underwater in the Maldives! It rarely disappoints even with poor visibility or on “quiet” days.

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CAVES
IDEAL FOR: expert divers
DEPTH: from 20 mt to 30 mt. The diving session will take place inside the 30 mt.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: white tip sharks, stingrays or even nurse sharks.
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 35 minutes by slow boat (20 minutes by fast boat).
NOTES: Caves is approximately a 20 minute boat ride from Rasdhoo and is located on the western end of the atoll past the sandbank. There are many large overhangs here, but also two caves through which divers can swim. In the caves and overhangs we can often find white tips, stingrays or even nurse sharks. Only advanced divers will be able to reach both caves and most of the overhangs, but Open Water Divers can also reach one cave and the shallower overhangs. A favourite of many repeat diving guests.

HOUSE REEF
IDEAL FOR: all divers
DEPTH: from 15 mt to 20 mt.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: White tip sharks, tuna, barracuda, sweetlips and turtles
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 5 minutes by slow boat (1 minutes by fast boat).
NOTES: This is House Reef of Rasdhoo and a great dives site all around the year to see barracuda, tuna and turtles.

KURAMATHI THILA
IDEAL FOR: expert divers
DEPTH: from 20 mt to 30 mt. The diving session will take place inside the 30 mt.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: grey reef, white tip, black tip and silver tip sharks
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 10 minutes by slow boat (4 minutes by fast boat).
NOTES: Kuramathi Thila is famous silver tip reef sharks.

TRIPLE PALM
IDEAL FOR: all divers
DEPTH: from 5 mt to 20 mt.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE: rich coral life, lobsters, octopus, black tip and white tip sharks
TIME OF TRANSPORTATION: 10 minutes by slow boat (4 minutes by fast boat).
NOTES: Triple Palm is a very nice site to have dive. Here is possible to dive with sharks and is possible to see nice coral reef.