South Maldives - Addu Atoll

ระดับการดำน้ำ The Maldives are a photographer’s dream, so take the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer course. The PADI Drift Diver course will prepare you for the drift dives through the channels. Enriched air nitrox is available, so the PADI Enriched Air Diver course is a good idea.
ความลึก Depths inside the atoll average around 35 meters, but it reaches a maximum of 75 meters in the middle.
ทัศนวิสัยใต้น้ำ clear
กระแสน้ำ Currents are generally not as strong as in the other tourist atolls so the channels can be dived at most times.
อุณหภูมิน้ำ warm
จุดดำน้ำ

British Loyalty Shipwreck

The 5583-tonne oil tanker, British Loyalty was built in 1928 by Palmers Co. Ltd., Newcastle. The ship was torpedoed twice by enemy submarines during the war. The first time was by a Japanese midget submarine in Diego Suarez harbor, Madagascar on May 30th, 1942. It was damaged and taken to Addu Atoll in 1943 to be used as a storage hulk. She was torpedoed again in Addu Atoll on March 9th, 1944. The German U-183 submarine had ingeniously fired through a gap in the submarine nets blocking Gan Kandu. The ship was damaged but not sunk and remained there for the rest of the war. The Loyalty was finally scuttled on January 5th, 1946, before the British withdrew from Gan.

According to Mr. Mohammed Ibraheem Loutfi, who was a Maldivian liaison officer during the war, the ship was towed by tug to its present location and finally sunk by the guns of a British warship. Mr. Husain Didi from Hithadhoo, who was a 15-year-old boy at the time the ship was scuttled, said:

“There were many shots fired into the starboard side, and oil floated into the harbor killing some dolphins and fish. The oil continued to come ashore for about 10 years.”

The wreck lies 30 minutes by dhoni from Equator Village-Gan between the island of Maradhoo and Hithadhoo. It is lying on the starboard side, and the bottom is at around 33 meters. The port side is at 16 meters and the bow points almost directly north. The total length of the wreck is 140 meters, and its beam is 20 meters. Coral growth is excellent with large clumps of hard coral all over and a good covering of soft coral. At several places on the railing, big balls of coral look like natural fenders.

The propeller is at 28 meters and originally had four blades made of brass every two meters. Now the topmost blade is missing, but the remaining three are covered in big bushy black coral trees. In front of the engine room, about 60 meters from the stern are two large holes, one on the deck and the other on the keel. These are so big, divers can easily swim through from one side to the other. The holes were most likely caused when the torpedo exploded or when the vessel was sunk. Visibility averages around 20 meters. Schools of blue-fin jack and a large turtle swim around the deck, while on the upper side many smaller fish have found a home among the coral.

British Loyalty : This is the largest wreck in the Maldives, and definitely a must-see for those who enjoy experiencing wreck diving around the world. This particular wreck is found lying on the port side at about 33 meters, and it measures a total of 134 meters in length.

A portion of the wreck on the starboard side can even be seen from the surface of the water on a really clear day. You can dive this site all year long, and you’ll be able to encounter sharks, turtles, rays, and large fish, making it a beautiful spot that provides a bit of history at the same time.

Demon Point Bay : At Koattey is a small inlet where day trips are made for introductory dives and a barbecue. It is a relaxing dive location with a relaxing atmosphere.


Gulda Lamago : This reef lies to the southeast of Koattey and is characterized by a steep slope decorated with hard coral and fine soft coral. There are some caves with lobsters, and at about 35 meters the reef undercuts itself to a sandy bottom at about 40 meters. This dive also has a reputation for sharks.

Koatte Beyru West : On the outside reef near Fen Muli are a series of plateaus stepping down at different depths. There is plenty of fish life and between 20 and 30 meters are many white-tip and grey reef sharks. There are also Napoleon, schools of surgeon fish, barracuda, and sometimes manta rays. At 30 meters there is a steep drop-off. This dive can only be reached in calm weather and diving is sometimes strenuous due to strong currents.

Fihal Farru : This is a one-kilometer-long drift dive along the west side of Kuda Kandu. The reef extends well into the atoll and has big coral heads down the reef face to the bottom at 30 to 35 meters. Fish life includes big red bass, eagle rays, stingrays, and turtles.

Bushy West : The reef on the west side of Kandu Huraa has a beautiful coral slope dropping to the bottom at 22 meters. There are large coral heads all down the slope, and nurse sharks are found sheltering among them. This is an easy drift dive that produces regular sightings of eagle rays, Napoleon and turtles.

Maa Kandu : There is a wide reef top on the outside reef corner between five and seven meters which offers a good start to the dive. Many different forms of acropora hard coral dominate the reef here. On the reef slope, which descends steeply from 12 meters, massive coral heads, large brain corals and spongy leather coral are a feature. Big manta rays are regularly seen at the corner.

Maa Kandu Beyru : The outside reef is an easy slow drift dive with a magnificent table and brain corals that is suitable for beginners. Schools of fusilier, turtles, eagle rays, and sometimes mantas make this beautiful reef and an absolute joy to dive.

Shark Point : On the northeast tip of Addu Atoll on the outside of Hulhumeedhoo is a spectacular shark dive. The outside reef drops from five to 30 meters to a sandy plateau that is about 30 meters wide. On this sand is the ‘shark hotel,’ where as many as 15 white tip sharks and five grey reef sharks can be seen at any one time. On the outside of the plateau, the reef drops to more than 60 meters and then the visibility is good, big sharks are seen swimming in the depths below.

Turtle Point : On the other hand, if it is sea turtles that you are after, definitely check out Turtle Point, where you can get up-close and personal with these graceful and friendly creatures. Hawksbill and green sea turtles are regularly seen here, so don’t forget your underwater camera to capture their beauty to enjoy for years to come.

Las Pueblas : This dive is located on the outside reef of Heretere. It was named after the cliff cities of the natives in the American southwest as it has a steep wall with many small caves. The reef edge is at a depth of about 20 meters, and the wall drops to around 55 meters to a sandy plateau. On the outside of the plateau, well beyond the range of divers, is another wall. Turtles and barracuda feature here but this mostly a landscape dive.

Muli Kolhu Faru : The corner into Viligili Kandu is long and rounded with a gently sloping reef from five to 30 meters. Lying on the sandy bottom at about 35 meters is a large hollow steel ball, 2.5 meters in diameter. This was one of the buoys used for supporting the submarine net across Viligili Kandu. Big barracuda, white-tip reef sharks and huge manta rays up to four meters across, are common around the corner.

Two hundred meters further into the channel is a large chain starting at a steel anchor point on the reef edge at 15 meters and trailing to the bottom of the channel at about 34 meters. The chain has 20-centimeter-long links and was the primary support for the submarine net. Near the chain, mantas can be seen all year round making this the ‘manta point’ of Addu Atoll. There is also an overhang nearby that is a favorite resting place for nurse sharks. There are more overhangs inside the channel at 30 meters.

Kanandhou Kaleyge Galha : There is a small reef inside Viligili Kandu ideal for night dives and beginner divers. The reef is half-moon in shape and has a beautiful coral garden on the eastern side. Coral heads protrude from the reef slope to the sandy bottom at 20 meters.

Viligili Inside : On the inside southern corner of Viligili Kandu is a finger of reef starting at eight meters and dropping to 20 meters. Divers can spend the whole dive going around this reef. Further south along the reef are shallow bays with pretty coral. At 10 meters is a steel boat about 12 meters long. Cables are also found running into the lagoon on this reef. On the bottom at 13 meters is a large steel ball with a chain that was once part of the submarine net across Viligili Kandu.

Gan : Inside is an ideal beginner’s dive near the eastern end of the airport runway. Towards the outside of Gan Kandu, there is a small wall starting at five meters. On the top of the reef are wide sandy corridors, sometimes with ten or more resting stingrays. There are also encounters with many hawksbill and green turtles.

Further inside the channel the reef slopes more gradually to 14 meters. The bottom is sandy with large coral boulders housing a wide variety of marine life. Here divers will find schools of pelagics like blue-fin jack and darts, also stingrays and eagle rays.

ฤดูท่องเที่ยว Addu Atoll is tropical, humid and very hot year-round, with an abundance of sunshine and temperatures around 24-33°C/75-91°F. The diving is equally good all year, however monsoons bring quite a lot of rain between April and October and especially June to August.
สิ่งที่น่าสนใจ Divers who expect an abundance of reef fish may be disappointed with Addu Atoll. But those who want to see wrecks, large manta rays, sharks, turtles, and generally big fish all year round, will be delighted with the diving.

Fuvahmulah เกาะกลางมหาสมุทรอินเดีย และเป็นจุดที่เราสามารถจะเจอฉลามหายากหลากหลายสปีชี่ส์ได้ ใน Location เดียว เช่นGreat Hammerhead, Scallop Hammerhead , Whale Shark, Thersher Shark , SilverTip,Tiger Shark รวมถึง Oceanic Manta SailFish ,MoLa MoLa 

Addu **Manta point ที่ดีที่สุด มีเข้ามาทั้งปี ****เรือจม British Loyalty Wreck เรือจมที่ใหญ่และดีที่สุดใน Maldives จมตั้งแต่ปี 1946 ดำนำ้ 3 ไดฟถึงเก็บหมดทั้งเรือ ความยาว 134 เมตรอยู่ที่ระดับความลึก 33 เมตร****มี Channel Dive หลายแห่งที่มีโอกาสเจอฝูงปลาใหญ่เป็นกลุ่ม(Eagle ray and Shark)**

ข้อมูลทั่วไป

Diving in Addu Atoll is superb, with stunning visibility and average depths of 30-35 meters.And it's very diverse too. If you love pelagics, you'll enjoy the year-round diving with sharks, turtles and mantas.Both less-advanced and advanced divers will find something for them in Addu Atoll, with weaker currents than in some of the other atolls and dive sites specifically rated for beginner divers, such as Gan Inside, a shallow dive that brings you into close contact with stingrays.For the more advanced diver, there's the awe-inspiring British Loyalty Wreck, an almost 6000 tonne oil tanker sitting at just over 30 meters and offering the largest wreck to dive across the Maldives.Another massive highlight is Shark Point, which features the 'Shark Hotel' - see close to 20 grey reef sharks idling around on the sandy bottom.

Addu Atoll, also known as Seenu Atoll, is the southernmost atoll of the Maldives, featuring stunning, world-class dive sites.The islands are shielded from the tempests and high waves of the Indian Ocean by boundary reefs. Coconut palms, the national tree, grow all over the islands.There are tiny lakes, wetlands, and damp taro fields in the islands that are one of a kind and the gorgeous barrier reef topography shields this slice of paradise from the storms and high waves of the Indian OceanWhite terns, known as the "dhondheeni" by Adduans, gives the Atoll a uniqueness as these can only be found in Addu Atoll.

จุดดำน้ำ (รายละเอียด)

 

 

 

การเดินทาง

Most visitors will fly into Malé and then transfer to Gan International Airport via Maldivian Airways, which runs regular daily flights into Gan. The journey will take you around 60 minutes. Direct flights to Gan International Airport come via Colombo Airport in Sri Lanka.

การเดินทางมายังมัลดีฟส์

เดินทางโดยเครื่องบินไปลงยังสนามบินมาเล่ จากนั้นนั่งเรือต่อไปยัง Resort หรือเรือ Liveaboard

ข้อมูลการบิน

แนะนำเดินทางด้วย Bangkok Air
DMK-MLE     PG711      0920-1155
MLE-DMK     PG712      1245-1920

แนะนำเดินทางด้วย AirAsia
BKK-MLE     FD177      0935-1150
MLE-BKK     FD178      1235-1900