Diverland Embudu - South Malé Atoll
Diverland Embudu, in the South Malé Atoll, often gets overlooked for some of the flashier sites. But we love this place for its sheer chill factor and surprising pops of colour. It’s a gentle drift along a healthy reef slope, a perfect spot to just soak it all in. We often start our dive near the drop-off, letting the mild current carry us past some impressively large meandroid brain corals and colourful stony corals. Keep an eye out for the smaller stuff here. While you won't always get the big pelagic action, the reef fish population is fantastic. We regularly spot groups of Indian Ocean pinstriped wrasse darting about, and the scarlet soldierfish always catch our attention with their brilliant red. The dusky angelfish are particularly bold here, often coming quite close. Look into the crevices for arc-eye hawkfish perched patiently, and we’ve even found bloodspot pipefish tucked away among the branches. It’s a site that rewards a slow pace and a keen eye. A great pick for a relaxed afternoon dive, or for photographers wanting to capture those vibrant reef residents without battling a strong current.
- Location
- South Malé Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- 4.084494, 73.512436
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 5-25m
Marine Protected Area: K.Embudhoo Kan'duolhi
Best Time to Dive in South Malé Atoll
The warmest water temperatures in South Malé 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: 30.1°C
- June: 29.6°C
- July: 29.7°C
- August: 29.6°C
- September: 29.4°C
- October: 29.3°C
- November: 29.3°C
- December: 29.0°C
Nearby Dive Sites in South Malé Atoll
- Adam Faru - 5-20m (reef)
- Admiral 1 - 24m (wreck)
- Admiral 3 - 23m (wreck)
- Alikoe Giri - 16m (pinnacle)
- Alimas Faru (reef)
- Ali Tila (pinnacle)
- Anna Giri - 25m (pinnacle)
- Appa Thila - 21m (pinnacle)
- Aquarium (reef)
- Banana reef (reef)
- Banner Reef - 5-20m (reef)
- Biyadoo Housereef (reef)
- Biyadoo Kuda Giri (pinnacle)
- Black Coral Faru - 15-35m (reef)
- Boahura Express - 25m (drift)
Nearest Dive Centres to Diverland Embudu
- Aquafanatics - ["PADI"]
- Aqua Quest - ["PADI"]
- Ayala Bubbles
- Best Dives Hathaafinolhu - ["PADI"]
- Dive Center
- DivePoint Guraidhoo - SSI, internationally recognized Diving Agency
Marine Life in South Malé Atoll
Home to 106 recorded species including 44 reef fish, 41 hard corals, 6 sea snails & nudibranchs, 4 seagrass & algae, 3 sharks & rays, 2 other.
Notable Species
- Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) - Reef Fish
- Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) - Sharks & Rays
- Staghorn coral (Acropora valida) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora austera) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora secale) - Hard Corals
- Table coral (Acropora clathrata) - Hard Corals
- Lineated Butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Allison's Tuna (Thunnus albacares) - Reef Fish
- Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) - Sharks & Rays
- Staghorn coral (Acropora lutkeni) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora nasuta) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora aculeus) - Hard Corals
- thalassia (Thalassia hemprichii) - Seagrass & Algae
- cymodocea (Cymodocea rotundata) - Seagrass & Algae
- Crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) - Starfish
- Coral Blenny (Istiblennius edentulus) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora tenuis) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora paniculata) - Hard Corals
- Tuna (Thunnus alalunga) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora solitaryensis) - Hard Corals
Recommended Packing List for Diverland Embudu
Based on average water temperature of 29.4°C, currents 19 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