Fihalhohi Hausriff Nord
3.8786°N 73.3675°E
Fihalhohi Hausriff Nord
Fihalhohi Hausriff Nord is the northern section of the house reef surrounding Fihalhohi Island in South Male Atoll, a shallow and sheltered reef ideal for beginners, snorkellers, and night diving.
Overview
Fihalhohi Island’s house reef is divided into distinct sections by local dive operators, with the Nord (north) section accessing the most sheltered part of the fringing reef. The northern face benefits from the island’s protection against the prevailing swell, resulting in consistent calm conditions suitable for entry-level divers and dive training. The reef drops from the beach into a coral garden at 3-8 meters that is densely populated with hard corals — particularly staghorn and brain coral formations — before levelling to a sandy bottom at 10-12 meters. The shallow depth allows excellent natural light penetration, making this one of the better sites in South Male Atoll for wide-angle photography without strobes. Turtles are frequently seen resting on the sandy patches and grazing on the reef top, and the resident fish life includes large parrotfish, surgeonfish, and various grouper species that have become accustomed to divers. The site connects with the main Hausriff to the south for longer reef circuits.
Site Information
- Location: South Male Atoll, Maldives
- Entry Type: Boat dive
- Site Type: Reef
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Maximum Depth: 12 meters
- Typical Visibility: 15-25 meters
- Current: Generally mild; protected by island
Marine Life
Hawksbill turtles, large parrotfish, surgeonfish, grouper, bannerfish, pufferfish, moray eels, and dense staghorn and brain coral formations. Night dives reveal octopus, shrimp, and hunting invertebrates.
Tips for Divers
The north section is the go-to recommendation for first dives in the Maldives at this resort, offering calm conditions and reliable turtle encounters in a forgiving depth range. Night dives here are excellent — the reef transforms with active octopus and shrimp visible in torchlight. Connect southward along the reef for a longer circuit to the main Hausriff section.