West Rock (Wreck) - North Malé Atoll
West Rock’s wreck is one we genuinely love, especially for a relaxed afternoon dive. It’s a fishing boat, roughly 30 metres long, settled perfectly upright at 20 metres. Not some ancient relic, but it sank in the early 2000s, so it’s already beautifully colonised. You can swim through the wheelhouse and down into the engine room, which is a tight squeeze but worth it for the ambient light filtering through. The outside of the wreck is where the real action is. We often find big Humpback Snapper schooling around the bow, and there are always a few Humpnose Bigeye Bream peering out from the shadowed sections. Watch for the resident Titan Triggerfish, who is a bit territorial around the stern, and a couple of Yellowmargin Triggerfish usually patrol the main deck. It’s an easy dive, barely any current, making it perfect for newer divers to experience a wreck without feeling overwhelmed. We’d suggest going in the morning; the light then really pops off the rusty hull. It’s a proper, swim-through kind of wreck, full of character.
- Location
- North Malé Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- 4.462400, 73.676300
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 20m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Marine Protected Area: K.Huraa Kan'doo Faa Sarahahdhu
Best Time to Dive in North Malé Atoll
The warmest water temperatures in North Malé Atoll occur in April, averaging 30.9°C. The coolest conditions are in January at 28.6°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.6°C
- February: 28.9°C
- March: 29.8°C
- April: 30.9°C
- May: 30.1°C
- June: 29.6°C
- July: 29.6°C
- August: 29.6°C
- September: 29.4°C
- October: 29.2°C
- November: 29.3°C
- December: 29.0°C
Nearby Dive Sites in North Malé Atoll
- 5 Palms, Thulusdhoo - 18m
- Abaandance Faru - 21m (reef)
- Ahmedbe Thila - 24m (pinnacle)
- Airport Beyru - 25m
- Akirifushi - 5-20m (reef)
- Akirifushi Kandu - 25m (drift)
- Ali Giri (pinnacle)
- Amin Faru - 21m (reef)
- Amingiri Sandbank Reef - 17m (reef)
- Amra - 26m
- Anemone Thila - 19m (pinnacle)
- Anniela Thila - 20m (pinnacle)
- Asdhoo Wreck - 21m (wreck)
- Asdu House Reef (reef)
- Back Faru
Nearest Dive Centres to West Rock (Wreck)
- Agua Zone
- Amba Dive Maldives - ["PADI"]
- Amphibuzz Dive
- ATD Conte Max and Duke of York - ["PADI"]
- Best Dives Centara Mirage Lagoon - ["PADI"]
- Best Dives Olhahali - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in North Malé Atoll
Home to 101 recorded species including 42 reef fish, 41 hard corals, 5 sea snails & nudibranchs, 4 seagrass & algae, 3 sharks & rays, 2 sea cucumbers.
Notable Species
- Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) - Reef Fish
- Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) - Sharks & Rays
- Staghorn coral (Acropora valida) - Hard Corals
- Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) - Sharks & Rays
- Staghorn coral (Acropora austera) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora secale) - Hard Corals
- Table coral (Acropora clathrata) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora lutkeni) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora nasuta) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora aculeus) - Hard Corals
- Allison's Tuna (Thunnus albacares) - Reef Fish
- thalassia (Thalassia hemprichii) - Seagrass & Algae
- cymodocea (Cymodocea rotundata) - Seagrass & Algae
- Coral Blenny (Istiblennius edentulus) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora tenuis) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora paniculata) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora solitaryensis) - Hard Corals
- Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora cytherea) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora donei) - Hard Corals
Recommended Packing List for West Rock (Wreck)
Based on average water temperature of 29.5°C, currents 10 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 30°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