Vavathi Kurolhi / Christmas Tree - Baa Atoll
Vavathi Kurolhi, or Christmas Tree as it’s often called, gives you a solid dive experience in Baa. You drop onto a solitary pinnacle, really more of a large thila, that sits isolated on the sandy seabed at about 24 metres. It’s got a good covering of hard corals, which brings in the usual suspects – schools of bannerfish and parrotfish are common. We often see reef sharks circling the base, especially in the mornings, and the occasional turtle resting on the ledges. It’s a good spot for intermediate divers looking for a relaxed drift and a chance to really observe the reef inhabitants.
- Location
- Baa Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- 5.814000, 73.252800
- Maximum Depth
- 24m
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Marine Protected Area: N. Orimas Thila
Best Time to Dive in Baa Atoll
The warmest water temperatures in Baa Atoll occur in April, averaging 30.4°C. The coolest conditions are in January at 28.5°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.5°C
- February: 28.8°C
- March: 29.4°C
- April: 30.4°C
- May: 30.0°C
- June: 29.4°C
- July: 29.4°C
- August: 29.2°C
- September: 29.1°C
- October: 29.1°C
- November: 29.2°C
- December: 29.0°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Baa Atoll
- Aarah Bodu Thila - 23m (pinnacle)
- Aarah Dekunu Thila - 23m (pinnacle)
- Aarah Kuda Thila - 25m (pinnacle)
- Aarah Wall - 20m (wall)
- Ahga Giri - 25m
- Aidhoo - 22m
- Alidhoo Caves - 20m (cave)
- ALIGHAA BEYRU EDGE - 22m (wall)
- ALIGHAA BEYRU FARU - 24m (reef)
- Amilla Fushi - 22m
- Anga Faru - 23m (reef)
- Anga Thilas - 25m (pinnacle)
- Baa Atoll Diving: Hanifaru Bay Adventures (reef)
- Baarah Caves - 21m (cave)
- Baarah Corner - 18m (channel)
Nearest Dive Centres to Vavathi Kurolhi / Christmas Tree
- AQUA - ["PADI"]
- Aqua Dive & Water Sports - ["PADI"]
- Aquafanatics@Fares - ["PADI"]
- Best Dives Vagaru - ["PADI"]
- Cheval Blanc Randheli Dive Centre - ["PADI"]
- Deep Blue Divers Kanuhura - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Baa Atoll
Home to 23 recorded species including 12 hard corals, 4 seagrass & algae, 3 reef fish, 1 sharks & rays, 1 whales & dolphins, 1 sea snails & nudibranchs.
Notable Species
- Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) - Reef Fish
- Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) - Sharks & Rays
- Staghorn coral (Acropora valida) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora secale) - Hard Corals
- Allison's Tuna (Thunnus albacares) - Reef Fish
- cymodocea (Cymodocea rotundata) - Seagrass & Algae
- Staghorn coral (Acropora lutkeni) - Hard Corals
- thalassia (Thalassia hemprichii) - Seagrass & Algae
- Long-beaked Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) - Whales & Dolphins
- Staghorn coral (Acropora austera) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora aculeus) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora paniculata) - Hard Corals
- Table coral (Acropora clathrata) - Hard Corals
- Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) - Reef Fish
- Species code: Si (Syringodium isoetifolium) - Seagrass & Algae
- Sand-dusted Cone (Conus arenatus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Staghorn coral (Acropora cytherea) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora tenuis) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora solitaryensis) - Hard Corals
- Species code: Hp (Halodule pinifolia) - Seagrass & Algae
Recommended Packing List for Vavathi Kurolhi / Christmas Tree
Based on average water temperature of 29.3°C, currents 24 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories