Dive South Male Atoll Sites

The Kuda Giri Wreck

To most people this is a wreck dive since the site is dominated by the small wreck that lies upright on the seabed between 30 and 15 metres depth. However the name of the site described the giri, or pinnacle, that is found nearby and this too could be considered a dive in its own right.

You will probably drop to the deepest part of this wreck to begin your dive. However, the currents are often absent or negligible so this is one site the less experienced diver can enjoy. They may wish to stay toward the shallower bow section. The wreck was sunk on purpose to form an artificial reef and has been well and truly colonised by orange, red and yellow sponges, as well as tubastrea cup coral.

When you are diving around the wreck you should look out for the big schools of glassfish that hover together en masse in the interior, little gobies peeking out from various holes, and a large school of batfish that seems to stay around the wreck. Turtles, humphead wrasse and other large reef predators will also put in frequent appearances.

The wreck is penetrable in via a couple of different methods, but is small and any group penetration needs to be handled in an orderly fashion.

Outside the wreck the sandy bottom features garden eels, and shrimp and goby partnerships. You can spot leaf-fish in the broken staghorn, and there are plenty of nudibranchs and flatworms in and around the pinnacle. Fissures in the reef also act as home to octopus, moray eels and thin-armed shrimp. Also look out for anemones with their resident anemonefish swimming in and out of the stinging fingers.

As with many sites in the Maldives there are countless red-toothed trigger fish fluttering away from the reef only to dart into their protective holes in the reef at the first sign of danger. If you're in luck, you might spot an elusive resting guitar shark here too.

Kuda Giri Wreck Reef Basics: Wreck and pinnacle dive
Depth: 12 - 30m
Visibility: 10 - 25m
Currents: Gentle
Surface conditions: Calm
Water temperature: 27 - 30°C
Experience level: Beginner to intermediate
Number of dive sites: 2
Diving season: All year round
Distance: 1.5 km from Dhigufinolhu, 22 km south of Male Town
Access: Maldive liveaboard

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