UKDIVING TRAVELSPECIAL
Dhigali
Malé has a busy seaplane terminal and I needed to catch a ride to reach Dhigali in the quieter Raa atoll to the north. After 45 minutes in the air, mesmerized by the turquoise atolls passing under me, I set foot on the largest of the islands I visited.
Sympathetically developed in 2017 to minimise any impact on its forested interior, it’ s a leisurely 45-minute stroll around the island. Everyone is on the premium all-inclusive deal, and the Maldivian spiced dishes and signature Asian cuisine, prepared by award-winning chefs at the four restaurants, were super tasty. There’ s even a proper Italian-style pizzeria.
Diving with the Euro Divers Dhigali team began at Vaadhoo Thila, where grey reef sharks came in close. The colourful reef forms canyons and overhangs where turtles feed, trevally congregate and reef fish abound.
Beriyan Thila was all about sharks in the blue seen from a viewing point tucked out of the current, where I was surrounded by fish and buzzed by a turtle. The soft coral trees on the reef walls were supersized, reef life was dense.
Dhigali’ s narrow lagoon gives easy access to the house reef, which drops away steeply. On a night shore dive, a black and white snake eel was a highlight among lionfish, banded coral shrimp, orange cup coral, morays and dramatic red feather stars. The coral fluorescence glowed under the dive centre’ s UV lights.
It’ s nearly always manta season around Dhigali, as you can easily reach either the eastern or western edge of the atoll, and Manta Point at Kottefaru Thila didn’ t disappoint. After a few moments looking at the shallow, otherwise unremarkable reef, we were graced by circling manta, lining up to pass the cleaning station, flying overhead the divers again and again.
Nearby Kottefaru Out is a Maldives channel dive at its best. It was fish soup. Hanging over the vertical reef drop-off, we swam through single-species clouds
Fusiliers and snapper at Kottefaru
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