Kudarah Thila
Ari Atoll · Maldives
Marine protected pinnacle in South Ari Atoll, gazetted in 1995. Top of the thila sits at 14 m and drops past 30 m, with two enormous overhangs on the east and west sides smothered in red and orange Dendronephthya soft corals, plus a swim through arch hung with sea fans. Five lined snapper and bluestripe snapper sit motionless in dense ledges while jacks, dogtooth tuna, and rainbow runners hunt the corners. Grey reef sharks and Napoleon wrasse work the deeper edges in current.
Conditions
Depth
14 to 30 m
Open water and up
Current
Can be moderate
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
10 to 20 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
27 to 30°C
Tropical wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
| Vis (m) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 25 |
| Current | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Grey reef shark
Last confirmed Apr 15, 2026 · 130 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Napoleon wrasse
Last confirmed Mar 24, 2026 · 19 records
Very likely
Most dives
Hawksbill turtle
Last confirmed Apr 5, 2026 · 16 records
Very likely
Most dives
Bigeye trevally
Last confirmed Feb 18, 2026 · 1 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Great barracuda
Last confirmed Mar 29, 2024 · 1 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Five lined snapper
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Dogtooth tuna
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Eagle ray
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear
Basic kit
For this site
- Reef hook · Currents sweep over the top of the thila and divers commonly hook in at the upstream edge to hold position while the action passes.↗
- Dive torch · The signature overhangs and arch are deep cuts in the reef that go dark fast; a torch reveals the soft coral colour and is needed for the swim through.