Filitheyo Kandu - Maldives Dive Site
Dive Site: Protected Marine Area
Location: North Nilandhe Atoll, Channel south of Filitheyo Resort
Depth Range: 5m - 30m
Coral Growth: Very good
Features: Batfish, Napoleon, Eagle Rays, Sting Rays, White-tip Reef Sharks, Snapper, coral
Fish Life: Abundant
Experience Level: Novice
Dive Site Map - Filitheyo Kandu
Diving Hints and Currents:
Filitheyo Kandu is a hugely popular dive site in the Maldives, a channel spanning 2 kilometers which is comprised of 3 smaller dive sites; Filitheyo Outside, Filitheyo Thila and Dolphin Corner.
Filitheyo Thila
The dive site Filitheyo Thila is a "U"-shaped reef, with the top ranging from 10m - 20m. This reef encapsulates a beautiful little sand valley; a popular spot for sting rays and large schools of fish. Around this thila you will also find numerous caves, a majority of them surpassing 20 meters in depth. Near the outside reef are two smaller reef outcrops, with a top depth at around 10 meters, and caves on the outside averaging around 20 meters. This particular area attracts a variety of exotic marine life, such as sharks, napoleon and eagle rays. For the more experienced scuba diver, there are further caves for exploration beyond the outside drop off point, starting below a whopping 30 meters.
Filitheyo Outside
This beautiful Maldives dive site Filitheyo Thila is formed like a protruding reef, gradually decreasing into the channel along a narrow ridge of about 20m width, to a depth of over 30 meters. This picturesque dive location contains a plethora of marine life, such as batfish, napoleon, oriental sweetlips, snapper fish and others. The aquatic landscape is similarly on par, featuring majestic caves and brilliant coral outcrops.
Dolphin Corner
The Maldives dive site Dolphin Corner is also a protruding reef, shaped like a finger reaching into the channel from the southern side. Experts advise divers to initiate their expedition on the steeper outside reef and drift towards the corner where the reef plateau flattens out. Along the route you can spot dazzling coral formations, blue-finger sponges, hydroids and featherstars. In times where the current is strong you should hold onto the dead coral and watch the plethora of marine life in the Maldivian depths; white-tip reef sharks, napoleon wrasse, eagle rays, schools of fusilier and snapper fish, just to name a few. When the current is ingoing, a good option is to drift over to the lee side of the reef; here you can catch sight of the two huge mushroom-shaped coral outcrops towards the corner - one at 15 meters and the other at 10 meters. It is a popular spot where you can observe a variety of fish life like Moorish idols, blue triggerfish and powder blue surgeon.
More Famous Maldives Dive Sites:
- Fish Head - Mushi Mas Mingili Thila
- Fotteyo Kandu
- Fushi Kandu
