Dive Deep Into The Underwater World of the Maldives in Vaavu

Sunday 4th of December 2022

Although Maldives is widely celebrated for its surface natural beauty with white sands and blue shimmering waters being spoken in volumes, the underwater world is not any less extraordinary. Home to vast coral gardens and pinnacles and teeming marine life, a dive into the depths will always be a highlight of any true Maldivian experience. Adding to this surreal experience is the chance to see some rare creatures with Sea Turtles and sharks making a debut at the world-class dive spots.

In the pristine Vaavu Atoll, there are a number of popular dive spots in the region, each characterized by its own unique aspects and features. Undoubtedly, the most famous of them all are Miyaru Kandu and Fotteyo Kandu, a hidden realm of experiences just waiting to be explored.

Miyaru Kandu

The location of Miyaru Kandu offers divers limitless exploration with its many caves, coral formations, and ocean life and is a protected marine area. The site is home to a prominent cave situated on the northern corner of the area that runs 30m. Here, divers can find a plethora of marine life such as pelagic fish, saddled puffer fish and blue-faced angel fish among others.

Moreover, given its name ‘Miyaru Kandu’ which translates to ‘Shark Ocean’ in Dhivehi it is not unusual to spot a large audience of sharks in the region. Grey reef sharks, white-tip sharks and even black-tip sharks often grace these waters, making this site the ideal place to catch some sharks in action. Since all these sharks are reef sharks, they pose very little danger to humans however, it is advised to maintain a safe distance always.

Fotteyo Kandu

Fotteyo Kandu is a narrow channel that features large overhangs, caves and soft corals and is deemed the pilgrimage for marine photographers. Vibrant colours and bubbling marine life makes this site an unforgettable experience. Divers can look forward to a myriad of colourful soft and hard corals and a vast array of ocean life ranging from eagle rays, hammerhead sharks and schools of white trevally and barracuda in this cosmopolitan gathering. Turtles and pods of dolphins also drift down to the channel occasionally, giving divers plenty to see here.

Golden Wall

The unsung beauty of Vaavu, The Golden Wall channel is one of the prettiest soft corals one can lay their eyes on with hues of pink, orange and red painting the corals beautifully. These magnificent soft corals overlap and bury some of the boulders completely and are a popular site for schools of fish. Divers can sight all sorts of lively fishes here as well including rock cods, wrasse, butterfly fish and snappers and so much more!