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MAP-left-side-finger.jpg (2269 bytes)Guraidhoo Zone

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Miyaru Faru **

The southern end of Fushidhiggaru Falhu is known for its sharks, which gives teh reef its name. On the corner are overhangs at 17 metres and a sand bottom at 20 metres. With an ingoing current white-tip and grey reef sharks, eagle rays, napoleon and sometimes hammerhead sharks can ben seen on the corner.

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Kuda Giri **

This is a small reef on the west side of Dhigufinolhu. Its main attraction is a steel wreck sunk for divers off the south west side of the reef at 20 to 35 metres. It is an excellent reef for beginners and night divers as well as wreck divers.

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Maafushi Caves **

There is one spectacular cave on the north side of a small reef between Maafushi and Dhigufinolhu. Its opening is on the reef top at five metres and the cave drops through the reef to an opening at 20 metres. Eagle rays are often seen here. Great photos.

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Cocoa Corner * *

The north side of Biyaadhoo Kandu has many caves and overhangs near the corner between 5 to 20 metres. The channel wall is steep - at one point it is undercut from 5 to 20 metres - whereas the outside reef corner slopes more gently. The channel is quite deep, descending to 40  metres. Inside the channel 200 metres from the corner is, a large outcrop of reef 20 metres long at a depth of 30 metres. Turtles frequent the reef, as well as surgeon and black snapper.

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Kandooma Caves * *

One of the underwater marvels of the Maldives are the huge caves on the reef corner near Kandooma island. They are among the largest caverns to be found in the tourist atolls. Just 50 metres from the corner are two huge caves close to one another; one is at 20 metres with a hole in the roof at 10 metres; the other is at a depth of 16 metres cave is about 70 metres long and has a curly overhang blocking out much of the light inside. Take a torch! Inside are yellow sponges, seafans and small tube corals and very often giant morays.

Further inside the channel are overhangs and another two caves, one which starts at 10 metres and has a hole in the top at three metres. There are many grouper and squirrelfish to be found in the caves and along the reef are clown triggerfish, napoleon, sweetlip and angelfish.

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Guraidhoo Kandu (Protected Marine Area)

The entire Guraidhoo channel, between Guraidhoo Faru and Maadhoo Falhu has been declared a Protected Marine Area. There are in fact two channels, Lhosfushi Kandu and Guraidhoo Kandu, seperated in the middle by a reef known as Medhu Faru. The channel has an intricate reef system with many diving alternatives. It is one of the premier diving locations in the Maldives and the focus of plenty of diving activity in south Male' Atoll.

 

 

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Lhosfushi Kandu **

The channel on the north side of Medhu Faru has a very shallow, narrow sandy entrance 10 metres wide at a depth of five metres such that if you blink, you miss it. The channel deepens inside to a sandy bottom to 30 metres. There is plenty of fish life inside including gobbies, butterflyfish, schools of snapper, fusilier, tuna, napoelon and white-tip reef sharks. There are also large morays, and during the south-west monsoon are manta rays. another regular visitor is a guitar shark.

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Sandune *

This is an adjoining reef one kilometre inside Lhohifushi Kandu with an undulating sandy bottom around 15 metres on the north side. Mantas are also known to frequent here.

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Medhu Faru * * *

The south side of Medhu Faru has many impressive features making it one of the most scenic drift dives in the Atoll. with an ingoing current, divers can start on the outside reef where a long ledge at 30 metres sweeps round the corner into Guraidhoo Kandu. Visibility is usually very good with an ingoing current and with wavering seafans springing out from the ledge, soft coral in abundance and big fish - in the open ocean, this is a sensational start to an exhilarating dive.

Near the corner, the wall of the channel becomes more steep and the current accelerates through the pass. A large rock draped in soft coral lies near the corner forming a small canyon at 18 metres. Sharks, trevally, tuna and fusilier congregate here.

The channel floor is at 35 metres and at 10 to 15 metres, there are caves and ledges well worth a visit. One big overhang cust through the reef from three to 30 metres. A sandy bay 250 metres inside the channel is a good starting point for a dive with an outgoing current.

Diving Hints: Strong outgoing currents can be dangerous at Medhu Faru because of currents sweeping through both Guraidhoo and Lhosfushi Kandu, pushing divers away from the outside reef. Stay shallow on the outside corner at these times.

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