Rasdhoo Diving Overview
No matter your level of experience, the scuba diving in Rasdhoo atoll has something to interesting for you. There are many different dive sites, including a couple of 5-star dive sites that are visited by divers from all nearby islands.
All year around Manta rays swim into the atoll through the northern channel to visit a cleaning station, known as Madi Gaa. All you need to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
Madivaru Channel is arguably the Atoll’s most famous site. Reaching out into the south-eastern channel, a horse-shoe shaped ridge is patrolled by whitetip and blacktip reef sharks, grey reef sharks and schools of eagle rays. Sometimes you also see groups of Mobula rays.
Rasdhoo Dive Sites
It doesn’t matter your level of experience, the scuba diving in Rasdhoo atoll has something to tempt you. There are 19 dive sites, including 5-star dive sites making up plenty for a great diving/ snorkeling holiday.
- Holhi Faru
- Rasdhoo Channel
- Rasdhoo Beyru
- Miyaru Faru
- Three Palms
- Bodu Gaa
- Beyru Kandu
- Madi Gaa
- Veligandu North
- Madivaru Reef
- Reef Explorer (Wreck Dive)
- Kuramathi Queen (Wreck Dive)
- Madivaru Corner
- Veligandu Beyru/Veligandu East
- Other Dive Sites
Holhi Faru
Distance: 05 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Wall, Drift
Current: Small to Medium – can be Strong
Outside of Kuramathi, we find 3 bays along the main reef of the island. Each bay is surrounded by coral blocks at different depths between 16 – 25 meters where moray eels and lobsters are not rare. Very often you can see stingrays resting underneath coral blocks. On the sandy bottom, you can find white-tip reef sharks, in the shallow part of the bay’s black-tip reef sharks – do not forget to have a look at the blue for a surprise.
Rasdhoo Channel
Distance: 03 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Deep Dive Training or Advanced Divers
Type: Channel Dive
Current: Medium to Strong – can be very strong
Another great dive site for the experienced divers with Deep Dive Training or Advanced level because of the negative entry and the depth! All thilas are already well-colonized on the atoll drop-off edge at a depth between 20 to 25 meters between Kuramathi and Rasdhoo island. On the sandy bottom between the thilas, look for stingrays or white-tip reef sharks. While crossing the channel, almost anything is possible like grey reef sharks, eagle rays, napoleon, dog-tooth tunas, and many more. On some very lucky days, you may see silver-tip reef sharks! However, this dive can be done only when the current runs into the Atoll!
Rasdhoo Beyru
Distance: 03 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Channel Dive
Current: Small to Medium – can be strong or very strong
A beautiful wall on the south side of Rasdhoo island with three small
thilas which are located on the drop-off edge a bit further away from the island wall.
Scuba Diving In Rasdhoo gets even more exciting as Thilas top starts from 18 to 20
meters which is suitable for beginners to experienced divers but the current can be
medium to strong.
Napoleon, white-tip reef sharks, and grey reef sharks can be seen here regularly.
Sometimes stingrays rest on the sandy bottom between 25 to 30 meters deep between the
wall and thilas. If you are lucky eagle rays and on very lucky days mantas !! This is
also a great dive spot for macro fans because so many small creatures can be found here!
Miyaru Faru
Distance: 30 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Wall, Drift, Overhangs
Current: Small to Medium – can be Strong
Another wall dive from the atoll barrier reef, but an easy dive site on the outside of the North of the Atoll. The reef slowly goes down between 3 to 10 meters then a steep wall follows. On the bottom 30 to 40 meters, we often see white-tip reef sharks relaxing. On the reef itself, you can see moray eels, lionfish, and for expert eyes even scorpionfish. A nice and easy dive. During manta season even mantas.
Three Palms
Distance: 08 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Wall, Drift
Current: Small to Medium – can be Strong
A very nice wall with a reef top starting in shallow water and which can be divided at any depth. Along with the dive, we encounter three big coral blocks in three different areas between 16 – 23 meters, just like ” Three Palms ”. Anything is possible here, like white-tip reef sharks, stingrays, and even more. Eagle rays also like to drift in the current along this wall. Looking down, beautiful sea fans can be seen. If you are lucky sometimes a green turtle or hawksbill turtle will come and say Hello.
Bodu Gaa
Distance: 20 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Wall, Drift
Current: Small to Medium – can be Strong
Bodu Gaa means Big Stone in Dhivehi. This Bodu Gaa can be seen on the reef top just a few inches below the surface and is fully covered by multi-colored fish. On the wall between 25-28 meters are two sandy areas where it is not rare to meet white-tip reef sharks or stingrays relaxing for the day. Around 25 – 26 meters, a couple of nice coral blocks are well-located on this sandy bottom. These blocks are full of kashmir-snappers, oriental sweet-lips, glass fishes and even stingrays are possible underneath any of the coral blocks. When there is some current, eagle rays may show-up.
Beyru Kandu
Distance: 25 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Wall, Drift
Current: Small to Medium – can be Strong
A very nice and easy place to dive for beginners, the reef is a steep wall and goes down to approximately 30 meters. A few coral blocks are to be seen on the reef top where lobsters have their “home sweet home”. Along the wall, small holes with nudibranchs, shrimps, and more. During your dive look to the blue or reef top often because, if you are lucky, it is possible to see eagle rays or manta rays and even white-tip reef sharks which often come and say hi to you.
Madi Gaa
Distance: 25 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Coral Block (Mostly sit on the sandy bottom next to the Coral Block)
Current: Small to Medium – can be Strong
Inside the North Channel, in the manta season (from November to April) there is a good chance of seeing mantas on this dive. A big coral block at 14 m, with the top at 10 m is an attraction for many species of fish. The best is to sit next to the block when mantas are around and watch them circle!
Veligandu North
Distance: 20 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Wall, Drift
Current: Small to Medium – can be Strong
This dive site offers a top reef separated by a sandy plateau between 5 to 9 meters’ depth, below is a very nice steep wall dropping to around 25 to 30 meters continuing to the atoll drop-off. Along the wall, you can find some overhangs from a depth of 12 to 16 meters in different areas. Sometimes these overhangs are covered by glass fishes, through the glass fishes you may find lobsters or even stingray resting. Lots of macro stuff possible here. If you look carefully, you may find ghost pipefish and even leaf fish inside the overhangs or at the edge of the overhangs. If Madivaru is the capital of the sharks then Veligandu Noth will be the Capital of the moray eels. Please do not forget to have a look into the blue – sharks and more.
Madivaru Reef
Distance: 05 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Wall, Drift
Current: Small to Medium – can be Strong
This wall located on the outside reef near the Island of Madivaru is perfect for a nice and easy drift dive. Also, a very good opportunity for beginners to experience dives with medium to strong current. Along the reef, corals are growing nicely and many species of fish can be spotted. Do not forget to turn your head towards the blue where pleasant surprises often appear.
Reef Explorer (Wreck Dive)
Distance: 05 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Wreck Dive
Current: Small to Medium – can be Strong
A 30-meter fishing boat that sank in the Rasdhoo channel that lies on its side on a sandy bottom, surrounded by garden eels and shrimp in a depth of 12-16 meters. Some big groupers have been spotted here, and a few mantas occasionally patrol the area. Good buoyancy control is needed to avoid kicking up sediment which ruins visibility and take care to avoid many metal structures protruding from the wreck and in the sand. Some nice coral blocks around. Look out for the cleaner shrimp and goby pairs in the sand around the wreck.
Kuramathi Queen (Wreck Dive)
Distance: 08 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Wreck Dive
Current: Almost nothing
A well-protected area – just inside the lagoon of Kuramathi. The Kuramathi Queen sits on a sandy bottom, the top of the wreck is at 16 meters, bottom at 20+m. Great for a night dive, very spooky.
Madivaru Corner
Distance: 05 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Channel Dive
Current: Medium to Strong – can be very strong
A highlight in the Rasdhoo Atoll for many reasons. This reef is located just in front of the island Madivaru and has some superb overhangs between 26 to 30 meters before a breathtaking drop-off. The real beauty of the dive will be when the current runs along the reef on the right shoulder and into the Atoll. Because with this current you don’t have to swim much because most of the time on your dive you just hold onto some dead coral on the drop-off around 18 meters where the breathtaking show begins. Everybody can find here almost anything they are looking for, from macro to big pelagic species like grey reef sharks, white-tip reef sharks, eagle rays, napoleon wrasse, shoals of barracuda, jackfish and even giant travelers and dog-tooth tuna chasing bait fish etc. Always worth a dive. Anything is possible, however, the current can be medium to very strong.
Veligandu Beyru/Veligandu East
Distance: 20 Minutes from Rasdhoo Local Island
Level: Beginners or Advanced Divers
Type: Wall, Drift
Current: Small to Medium – very rare to get Strong
The Outer Reef of Veligandu is a nice steep wall with a reef top coming up to 3 to 5 meters. On the reef plateau, you will find oriental sweet-lips, jack fishes, tunas, and sometimes napoleon wrasse. Blue always surprises.
