Kandooma thila, Guraidhoo Travel Guide

Kandooma Thila, located in the South Male Atoll, is one of the Maldives' most celebrated and accessible dive sites. This underwater pinnacle, also known as Cocoa Thila, is a haven for divers of all experience levels, offering a mesmerizing underwater landscape teeming with vibrant coral gardens and an abundance of marine life.The thila rises from the ocean floor, with depths ranging from 14 to 30 meters, creating multiple diving zones suitable for beginners to advanced divers. The top of the reef is adorned with rich coral growth, providing a playground for a diverse array of marine species. Divers can encounter grey reef sharks, eagle rays, white-tip sharks, whip rays, marble rays, barracudas, tuna, trevally, and an array of colorful tropical fish.Kandooma Thila is particularly famous for its shark encounters, having been ranked among the world's top 10 shark diving spots from 2000 to 2009. Divers can witness grey reef sharks at a cleaning station, observing them in a vertical position as small wrasses clean them. The site's currents can be strong, making it a challenging dive, but the rewards are well worth the effort.The thila's diverse ecosystem and pristine coral formations create perfect conditions for encounters with an incredible variety of marine species, from tiny reef fish to larger pelagic visitors. Sea turtles, both green and hawksbill, visit Kandooma Thila to feed on algae and sponges, often seen gliding over the coral formations or resting in cleaning stations.