Jack Faru

Jack Faru is a reef formation in South Male Atoll — the name “Jack” referencing the jack fish (trevally) that school conspicuously here, and “faru” (Dhivehi for reef) describing the elongated reef structure they inhabit.

Overview

Named after the big-eye and giant trevally (locally called “jack”) that congregate in impressive schools, Jack Faru is a reef dive where the fish life is the main attraction. The reef runs as a gentle wall and slope from 5 metres to around 25 metres, with a particularly productive upper crest where schools of hundreds of bigeye trevally often hover in the current. Deeper sections of the reef feature overhangs sheltering soldierfish and squirrelfish, while grouper and Napoleon wrasse claim territory around the larger coral heads at mid-depth. Hawksbill turtles are regular visitors, and whitetip reef sharks can be found resting on the sandy patches at the reef base. The faru (reef flat) in the shallows offers a natural safe harbour for the safety stop, with abundant damselfish and anthias in the coral gardens. Visibility ranges from 15 to 25 metres. Water temperature is 27–29°C.

Site Information

• Location: Maldives, Asia
• Entry Type: Boat dive
• Depth: Up to 25m
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Site Type: Reef

Marine Life

Bigeye trevally and giant trevally (in schools), Napoleon wrasse, grouper, hawksbill turtles, whitetip reef sharks, soldierfish, moray eels, and anthias.

Diving Conditions

Condition	Details
Visibility	15–25m
Current	Light to moderate
Water Temp	27–29°C
Best Season	Year-round

Tips for Divers

Position yourself near the upper reef crest in moderate current for the best trevally aggregations — the fish schools are thickest when the current runs. Wide-angle photography works well here when the trevally schools are in the water column above the reef.

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