Thoondu

The dive at the northern tip of Fuvahmulah, off the island's famous white-pebble Thoondu beach — a solitary oceanic island in the far south of the Maldives (Gnaviyani Atoll). This is the point where currents wrapping around the island meet, so it's known for strong flow and swirling vortexes, and it's dived as an advanced drift for AOW divers comfortable in moving water. The reef starts shallow at 5–7 m and steps down through 18–30 m before sloping into the blue. Its signature is a thresher shark cleaning station, where these deep-water sharks rise to be groomed by wrasse — best when the current is right and the light still soft; when the flow rips, the cleaners tuck away and the threshers may hold off. Seasonal visitors add oceanic mantas, hammerheads, whale sharks, sand tiger sharks and mola molas, while giant trevallies, barracudas, groupers and snappers patrol the reef. Visibility is usually good but can drop when the current turns. Boat entry.

Also known as: Thoondu Beach, Thundi