Kandooma Thila
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.
Kandooma Thila is South Malé's blue-water grandstand. The teardrop-shaped pinnacle lies in a channel mouth, and on an incoming tide its up-current point turns into a theater: gray reef sharks stacked in the flow, eagle rays flapping past in formation, tuna and trevally cutting through bait clouds. The reef itself is in fine shape, with sea fans and soft coral under the ledges and turtles resting out of the current. It is a protected site, a demanding one, and on the right tide one of the country's great dives.
The moment you come for: Shark and eagle-ray action at the up-current point; healthy ledges and fans
Topography: Elongated pinnacle with overhangs and coral-covered ledges falling to a sandy channel floor
Current: An exposed channel-mouth thila; expect a negative entry and a hooked-in stretch when the tide runs.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Strong current with possible down-currents on the corners; blue-water descents.
Conservation: Protected marine area; hook only into bare rock and give the shark line right of way.
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
Green Sea Turtle
Grey Reef Shark
Spotted Eagle Ray
Whitetip Reef Shark
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★★★ · Macro: ★★☆☆☆ — editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting