Cathedral
As the name implies we find a huge overhang on the outside reef making us think on a big cathedral. Not just the decorative cover such as yellow sponges hanging down from the ceiling like created by a sculptor down under gives us this impression. Also the forms and especially the light-atmosphere contributes a substantial part to remind us on a gothic church.
After our visit in the church we let us drift along the reef exploring smaller washouts and caves. The reef here offers a lot of small hiding-places, nice and colourful corals and sometimes a meeting with sharks and other bigger blue water creatures.
Cave diving on its finest!
VELLASARU CAVES SOUTH-, NORTH
Attracted by one cave after the other we are gliding with the current from one washout to the next. They are reaching up smoothly to very shallow depths and we are able to enjoy all the forms and colours. A colourful and very nice outside reef offering plenty of marine life not only on the reef but also in the blue water if you take a look out to the Wadoo Channel once in a while. Especially the top of the reef alwys pleases us on the way up with its schools of bannerfish passing by slowly.
A soft dive site offering plenty of fish and marine life.
LION'S HEAD
One of the most famous dive sites of the Maldives is the Lions Head. Located in the south of the north male atoll this classic maldivean spot owes his fame to the grey reef sharks had been feeding here in early maldivean times. Today the Lions Head and its big arena are no longer a real dive spot for big fish. Sometimes we still meet sharks here at deeper depths - anyhow a view away from the reef into the blue water of the Wadoo Channel often earns some reward: once in a while some napoleons, turtles or eaglerays pass by.
On the steep outside reef we drift along - colourful it leads down - offering caves and small washouts to go for some underwater exploration. And at the well known arena at about 10 meters depth we can find those picture famous overhangs.
Here we find all the typical wall and steep reef creatures such as murays, lionfish in different colours, big groupers and surgeonfish.
The colourful top of the reef as well as the caves at shallower depths offering us endless diving pleasure during our way up to the surface.
.A diving highlight well known and famous among divers you should add to your diving holiday.
TURTLE POINT
Softly, not extremely thrilling but very colourful this reef is waiting to be discovered by enthusiasts about sea-turtles lobsters and lionfish. But also "Big Game Freaks" can get a piece of action here by some sharks or stingrays passing by. Interesting formations of coral-blocks attracting a lot of animals to hide under. Once in a while a sleeping nurse-shark can be found under this blocks while other smaller fish watching out there like some kind offlatowners in their house. The top of the reef offers plenty of colours and reef fish to the diver during his safety stop on the way up to the surface.
Suited for all kind of divers especially for experienced ones not always on the hunt for the limit and the extreme thrill on the search for some colourful change appreciate this dive site.
THE WALL
Drifting along this extremely steep walls and also overhangs the Wadoo Channel gives up one of its nicest parts. Being suspended like a spaceman and gliding beside and not on the top of the reef is the thrill about wall diving. And "The Wall" offers it all - several kinds of murays are watching out of their holes and lionfish pleasing us witch their colourful play. Anemons giving home to clownfish are passing by. It's impressive to watch this drop-off nicely covered with corals reminding us on a field of gras in the mountains.
Once in a while risk a look out into the blue water of the Wadoo Channel - some surprise might pass by - eagle-rays and sharks are not uncommon at the Wall. Close to Embudu this drift dive will please beginners as well as diving "Pros"!
EMBUDU EXPRESS
Just around the Corner close to Embudu the experienced diver can expect a deep and short action-drift-dive. Descending directly at the edge of the reef we dive diagonal to the current to the middle of the channel where we hold on at the drop off at a depth of about 36m. As an exception to the rule the reef isn't very beautiful there ….. but in front out in the blue-water we get a collection of big-fish playing with the current, impressive and thrilling in a way you are often not able to realize what really has happened till you're back on the boat. What a real diver-heart dreams of its whole dive-life through can become reality down at the Embudu Express: eagle-rays in formation (up to 20 pieces and even more, huge stingrays, schools of makrels and barakudas, big groupers and of course a countless number of sharks.To see all these sharks playing with the current is simply fantastic - watching them turn off and then come quite close again playful swimming against the strong current while we hang on a coral block and try not being spoiled off.
After this overload of impressions we let drift with the current into the channel following the Thilas and later surfacing in the blue-water.Due to the depth, strong current, fast descent and surfacing in the blue-water this dive is only for experienced divers - Embudu Express isn't just one of our highlights here it is also one of the best dives in the world!
Manta Point
From June till October some Mantas are visiting a cleaning station located in an atoll-channel near the island Gulhi.After a blue-water-entry we dive against the current close to a coral block in the middle of the channel which is used as a cleaning station by these impressive and fascinating animals.
Holding on to the ground near this coral block we watch the "giants of the sea" - the Mantas. Gliding with unbelievable elegant movements they are approaching from the drop-off of the channel and stop exactly in front of our eyes. Playing with the current they open their wings to be cleaned by all the little cleaning-fish around the coral block. After this treatment they sometimes glide slowly and very close above our heads and take a "shower" in our air-bubbles.
One of the most impressive underwater landscapes represents the "Canyon" - an inlet at the reef giving home to countless animals there.
In former days a part of the reef broke off and built a huge block next to the outside reef. Swimming through the Canyon offers a view into the variety of arts here at the Maledives. A lot of small caves and overhangs are to explore and a look up to the surface makes your diving heart laugh - the sunbeam is reflected at all the edges and corners and lightens the Canyon itself - don't miss your u/w camera!
This dive site also provides us with blue water animals: just after the Canyon at a coral block at about 30m depth sometimes grey-reef sharks are playing or big napoleons are crossing our way. A dive-site famous all over the Maledives, a highlight remembering the promise it makes.