Hulhumalé is the fourth-largest island in the Maldives, located on the northeast coast of North Malé Atoll, about 6.5 kilometres away from the Velana International Airport. The artificial island is home to the first smart city to focus on sustainability and of course, to address the social, economic, and environmental impact posed by rising sea levels. Check out the list of dive sites that await you at Hulhumalé below!
Banana Reef
This banana-shaped reef was one of the first sites discovered. Adorned with pristine Acropora coral and sea fans, Banana Reef has some of the best coral coverage in the Maldives. Marvel at the varied topography including overhangs, caves, and caverns, as you enjoy a drift dive on he gentle currents.
Napoleon wrasse, which can be spotted at Banana Reef
Reef type: Thila
Diving depth: 4 to 30 metres
Travel time from Hulhumalé: 15 minutes
Experience: All levels of diver
Highlights: Schooling reef fish, moray eels, Napoleon wrasses, jacks
Eagle rays, which can be spotted at Furana North
Furana North
With a top at 10 metres and sloping down to the seabed at 25 metres, this “thila” is decked with hard corals and home to an abundance of red-tooth triggerfish, basslets, Napoleon wrasses, and honeycomb, giant, bearded and undulated moray eels.
Reef type: Thila
Diving depth: 5 to 30 metres
Travel time from Hulhumalé: 20 minutes
Experience: All levels of diver
Highlights: Eagle rays, sharks, tuna
Manta Point
Manta Point is one of the several cleaning stations where one can witness manta rays having parasites and dead skin removed by cleaner wrasses. Look out for schools of jacks, barracudas, oriental sweetlips, Napoleon wrasses, hawksbill turtles, morays, octopuses as well as whitetip reef sharks resting on the sandy bottom.
Manta Point, Maldives
Reef type: Outlying reef
Diving depth: 5 to 30 metres
Travel time from Hulhumalé: 35 minutes
Experience: All levels of diver
Highlights: Manta rays, sharks, tuna
Sunlight Thila
Lionfish, which can be spotted at Sunlight Thila
Created through the formation of two small reefs, Sunlight Thila is the place to go to watch manta rays swimming magnificently in the turquoise water — and enjoying a good grooming session from cleaner wrasses. Among the coral formations, expect to see schools of reef fish, triggerfish, and turtles. Macro photographers should keep an eye out for the small stuff as well.
Reef type: Thila
Diving depth: 4 to 20 metres
Travel time from Hulhumalé: 30 minutes
Experience: All levels of diver
Highlights: Manta rays, triggerfish, lionfish, turtles
How to get to Hulhumalé: Sinamalé Bridge links the islands of Malé, Hulhulé and Hulhumalé, and there’s a shuttle bus from the airport to Hulhumalé. There are also direct ferries that run between Malé and Hulhumalé. Unlike the congested capital, Hulhumalé has wide roads and generous pavements.
Hulhumalé is a dive destination suitable for all levels of divers and has plenty of marine life that you can catch sight of! If you are interested in embarking on a dive expedition in the Maldives, be sure to consider joining ADEX Maldives Retreat taking place on 18-23 October 2022! For more information, visit www.adex.asia/adex-back2blue-maldives-retreat/ ! To read up more about Maldives as a dive destination, do head over to shop.asiangeo.com/product/asian-diver-issue-04-2021-no-159/ to get a copy of Asian Diver No.159!
Check out Part 2 of this list of Hulhumalé dive sites here!
