Guraidhoo Kandu
Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily — treat everything here as planning ranges.
Guraidhoo is South Malé's textbook kandu dive and a protected area for good reason. On a pushing tide, divers hook into the outer corners and watch gray reef sharks hold effortless station in the flow while eagle rays and the odd Napoleon wrasse slide past. Release the hook and the channel does the rest, funneling you over a saddle of coral heads toward the lagoon as snapper and fusiliers stream alongside. Surge and speed vary with the moon; the briefing matters, and so does staying with the group in mid-channel blue.
The moment you come for: Hooked-in shark watching; a fast, clean drift into the lagoon
Topography: Channel walls and a coral-strewn saddle between two islands, dropping to the open sea
Current: A working channel: incoming tides give clear water and shark action, outgoing tides get green and are usually avoided.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Strong tidal current, mid-channel blue-water sections, and boat pickups in open water.
Conservation: Protected marine area; fishing is banned in the channel.
Nitrox: Worth it here — profiles sit in the range where enriched air meaningfully extends no-stop time (with the training to use it).
Who you'll meet
Dogtooth Tuna
Grey Reef Shark
Napoleon (Humphead) Wrasse
Spotted Eagle Ray
Whitetip Reef Shark
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★★☆ · Macro: ★★☆☆☆ — editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting