Rangali Madivaru - Maldives Dive Site
Dive Site: Hukrueli Faru / Rangali Madivaru / Manta Point (Protected Marine Area)
Type of Dive Site: Reef
Location: South Ari Atoll, Rangali Kandu
Best Time to Dive: North East Monsoon
GPS Position: 03.35272, 072.43150
Depth Range: 5m – 30m
Coral Growth: Poor
Features: Manta Rays
Fish Life: Average
Experience Level: Novice
Dive Site Map - Rangali Kandu - Faruhuruvalhibeyru
Diving Hints and Currents:
Madivaru is a Maldives dive site known best for its abundance of manta rays. Madi in the local language of the Maldives, means “Ray”, hence the name Madivaru for this site, which is also known as Hukrueli Faru. During the North East Monsoon, Madivaru is a superb Manta Ray cleaning station. The coral reef at Rangali Kandu slopes down gently from its highest point at 8 meters to the Atoll floor at about 30 meters.
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Large Manta Ray at Rangali Madivaru dive site |
The north-east monsoon season in the Maldives attracts many manta rays to the Rangali Madivaru dive spot, who feed on the plankton-rich waters that usually flow out of the atoll along with the currents.
Both sides of the dive site Rangali Kandu make for exhilarating drift dives. Because of the composition of the dive location, the reef acts like a funnel, propelling the water in and out of the atoll at highly accelerated speeds.
The northern end of Faruhuruvalhi dive site is where most of the divers initiate their dives, and here there are many erosion gutters on the reef top between five and 10 meters. These were formed by the heavy seas and strong currents, and tend to be around one meter in depth and width.
The reef slopes down to 15 meters here, before a steep drop down to 25 meters. This particular reef at Rangali Madivaru dive site has many caves, overhangs and cracks, as well as two swim-throughs, heavily populated with seafans and other exotic fish life.
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Close-up Shot of the Maldives Firefish |
The Maldives marine life here is brimming with diversity, so you will catch sight of blue-striped and midnight snapper, napoleon, manta rays, parrotfish, firefish, basslet, squirrelfish, lionfish and many more, in addition to the exotic table corals.
The scuba diving location Rangali Madivaru can be tormented by strong currents, one of the reasons why this dive site is so heavily populated with manta rays.
There are many cleaning stations along this 1 km reef, but the point where the Manta Rays are most active is halfway along the northern side.
The current at Rangali Madivaru dive site can be strong at times and can create a funnel effect due to the coral reef formation. At the southern ridge the reef declines sharply to a 10 meter plateau, extending out into the open ocean waters. Safety balloons should be carried at all times and be prepared to abort your dive if the currents are too strong or the sea is too stormy.
Dive Guide Map - Rangali Madivaru - North Ari Atoll
Famous Scuba Diving Locations in the Maldives:
- Rasfari Island
- Vattaru Kandu
- Banana Reef - Gaathugiri
