The local words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Thila | A coral pinnacle that rises from the atoll floor, its top under water |
| Giri | Like a thila, but reaching close to the surface |
| Kandu | A channel between the open ocean and the lagoon inside the atoll, often with strong currents |
| Faru | A ring of reef around a lagoon, its edge above the water |
| Beyru | Outside: the outer reef |
| Kuda, bodu | Little, large |
Best-known sites
- North Malé: Banana Reef; Lankan Manta Point; the Maldives Victory wreck.
- South Malé: Kandooma Thila; Cocoa Thila; the Kuda Giri wreck.
- North Ari: Fish Head and Maaya Thila.
- South Ari: Kudarah Thila; Broken Rock; the whale shark area.
- Vaavu: Miyaru Kandu, Fotteyo and Alimatha.
- Baa: Hanifaru Bay, for snorkelling with mantas.
- Lhaviyani: Kuredu Express, and the Shipyard wrecks.
- Addu: the British Loyalty wreck and Manta Point.
Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa
Wrecks
Wrecks range from easy to demanding. The Kuda Giri wreck in South Malé suits newer divers; the Maldives Victory, a cargo ship that struck the reef near the airport in 1981, and the British Loyalty in Addu are deeper dives.
House reefs
Many resorts have a house reef: a reef you can snorkel straight from the beach or the jetty, with no boat needed. Dive centres often use it for a check dive if you have not dived for a while.
Protected areas
Many of the best-known dive sites have been protected since 1995, and the national list now has more than 90 protected areas, among them Hanifaru Bay and the South Ari Marine Protected Area. Channel and thila sites can have strong currents, and suit experienced divers. Recreational diving is limited to 30 metres.