HP Reef

A Protected Marine Area on the edge of a channel off the south side of Girifushi island, North Malé (Kaafu) Atoll, between Himmafushi and Girifushi. Also known as Rainbow Reef, Girifushi Thila and High HP Reef. The site is a maze of coral blocks, caves, crevices and canyons, famous for dense soft corals in blue, orange and yellow with gorgonians and sea fans — and a vertical swim-through "chimney" that tops out around 25 m. The soft corals only open and feed when current is running: in medium to strong flow they bloom in full colour, but they close up and lose their vividness in slack water, so the reef is at its best on a moving tide. That same current makes it a drift dive suited to advanced divers, and diving is suspended when it runs too hard. Depths go from a 4–5 m reef top down past 30 m. Common sightings include grey reef sharks, eagle rays, barracuda and dog-toothed tuna, with schooling jacks, big-eye trevally, rainbow runners and fusiliers riding the current and angelfish dense on the shallows. Dived year-round. Boat entry, a short speedboat hop from Himmafushi or Male City

Also known as: Girifushi Thila , Rainbow Reef