Male Ibrahim Nasir International Airport is well served by direct charter flights from Western Europe, but direct scheduled flights are rarer – it may require a lay-over in the Middle East first. Coral rock cod are covered in florescent speckles.In the channels, you’ll find eagle rays, Napoleon wrasses, turtles and sharks. You’ll also see large table corals on the reefs.The small Maldivian sponge snail sits on sandy banks while midnight snapper, small-toothed emperor, moon fusiliers and moon wrasse swim by. The soft corals found in the overhangs are blue, yellow and green pairs of porcelain crabs rest in anemone coral. They bump into each other like bumper cars at a fairground.Amongst the coral, you’ll find whip coral, dark red sponges, black coral bushes and zoanthids growing like wild mushrooms. You won’t be disappointed by the diversity of fish and coral that you’ll see.If you’re visiting the atoll during manta season, you can expect their orderly feeding behavior to be disbanded while they feed. The Baa Atoll has been awarded UNESCO status for a reason.
Baa atoll maldives full#
Expect to see lots of other fish: redtoothed triggers, black pyramid butterflyfish, parrotfish, angelfish and starry rabbitfish.The popular whale shark spots may be full of ravenous snorkelers, but Baa Atoll’s dive sites are well chartered and offer lots of diverse diving and marine life. Amongst the reef’s overhangs are yellow-lined snapper, soldierfish and cleaning wrasses. You’ll ascend to its exit at 59 feet (18 meters). Located at 82 feet (25 meters) is the base of a narrow swim through lined with black coral. Baa Atoll is one of administrative divisions in Maldives. The thila starts at 26 feet (8 meters), and as you descend you may see manta rays. Advanced divers can explore Dhonfanu Thila and its swim through. This entire reef becomes a cleaning station during manta season, and while they hover to be cleaned, you’ll be able to observe them closely. Amongst the caves and overhangs, you’ll also find stingrays, big groupers, friendly batfish or a school of oriental sweet lips.
Star shaped canyons are found in the middle and overhangs, which are covered in hard and soft corals, are found on the reef’s walls. The top of the reef is found at 46 feet (14 meters) and drops off to 98 feet (30 meters). The topography around this site is unique. The coral appears through them, distorted, as though you’re wearing glasses with the wrong prescription.To the south-east of the atoll is Nelivaru Haa. Depending on the light and density of the shoal, it can be a spectacular sight. Shoals of glassy fish also swim around the coral. The south-west monsoon (May to November) sees manta rays using the thila as a cleaning station. On either side of the thila are large rocks where schooling black jacks hunt fusiliers. The thila is covered in different hard and soft corals, lots of macro life and large pelagic. The map of Maldives shows the airports and piers, and where the Maldives are on the world map is the fastest way to choosing your holiday destination in the Maldives.With the diverse marine life around its reefs, thilas (submerged islands), overhangs and swim throughs, Baa Atoll deserves its UNESCO status.Located to the east, and part of the atoll’s protected reef, is the Horubadhoo Thila at a depth of 39-52 feet (12-16 meters). Our interactive maps of the Maldives show all the hotels, resorts, guest houses, hotels, as well as the local islands and Baa Atoll on the map of the Maldives archipelago, a map of dive sites, attractions and various pointers. You can also relax on the beach before learning to surf. In the evening, explore the corals during night diving. On the way back you can stop on an uninhabited island and think about the feeling of loneliness. Ask your resort / divemaster about the best place to see these gentle sea giants.Ī more relaxing way to spend time is to take the traditional dhoni to the local islands and see how the varnished handmade products are made.
Snorkeling with whale sharks and manta rays is one of the popular activities in the atoll, but it can seem like a piranha frenzy. With a diverse marine life around its reefs, thila, candu and caves, Baa Atoll rightfully deserves the status of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.