Diving Lion's head

BA chart 3323

The day was calm and sunny so we ventured South again towards Thilafushi Island where all the rubbish handling in Maldives is done. There is also a number of industries there such as 3 shipyards a cement factory, fuel storage and other various workshops.

Thilafushi

Mushroom leather coral

As we were passing South of Thilafushi and going West along the shoreline we passed several open fires where rubbish was burnt. I guess the same style was in force since I was first time in Maldives in 2007, no incentive to burn in an incinerator when the smoke disperses so fast.

Black-spotted pufferfish

Sleek unicornfish

Anyway, we stopped short of passing Thilafushi and geared up to go explore Lions Head dive site. It is also a designated fish protection area. The current was slightly flowing East and off we went. We came to the first overhang at 12m depth and after that we encountered several at 15-22m. Can't say which one was the Lion's Head but the scenery was nice. I saw a shark far away but he was quick to disappear once he sensed humans about. Met also 2-3 turtles of which one was entangled in rope and we successfully freed him. The more East we went the more there was particles in the water and on the corals.

Black-and-white snapper

Spotfin squirrelfish

Gorgonian fan coral

Dubey at Lions head

Two-tone dartfish

Clark's anemonefosh

Indian bannerfish

Madagascar butterflyfish

Giant clam

Black Pyramid butterflyfish

School of Captain parrotfish (?)

Blue-faced angelfish

Blotched porcupine fish

Masked bannerfish

Varicose wart slug

Yellowmargin moray

Solander's sharpnose puffer

Black-spotted pufferfish

Trumpetfish

Entangled turtle that we freed

Turtle

Diving Club Med corner

My deckhand Pardeep had not been here and we decided to revisit this site. This time though we swam South instead of inside the atoll so we started near the corner. We weren't disappointed, met with Napoleon Wrasse & turtles plus the host of the small fish in the coral garden. I must have seen the biggest grouper ever in my life when I peeked under a rock formation, it sat there for awhile until it noticed it was observed and then it hid better out of sight. I managed to get a picture but it is obscured by the soldierfish, if you look closely you can see the eyes and mouth in the dark background...

BA chart 3323, inset

Yellowback fusilier 

Collared butterflyfish & Shadowfin soldierfish

Oriental sweetlips

Imperial angelfish

Lined surgeonfish

Shadowfin soldierfish

Moorish idol

Soldierfish, note the grouper in the background

Yellowhead butterflyfish, Powder-blue surgeonfish, Black pyramid butterflyfish

Regal angelfish

Seacucumber, Tiger cardinalfish, Moorish Idol & Soldierfish

Sailfin tang, Bullethead parrotfish (?)

Blacktip grouper

Gold striped emperor and a lonely Kashmir snapper

Orangefin emperor

Trumpetfish

Titan triggerfish

White-spotted grouper

Fish at table coral

Neon fusiliers

Diving Hans Hass place

As we had tallied through the closest dive sites we ventured now a bit further afield, not going overboard but staying inside Male' atoll. We headed southwest from our anchorage towards Viligili Island and next to it is a reef named Gulhi Falhu. It is now being reclaimed from the West. In the middle of the reef on the Ocean side is the "Hans Hass" diving spot that is designated as a protected area. When I was in Maldives earlier my local guide told me that this will house the existing industries on Male' and they will be relocated on Gulhi Falhu.

Anyway, we arrived again early morning and found another dive boat there already but there is aplenty at sea so we made ourselves ready and jumped in. The current was against us and a bit heavier than expected but to agree with the diveplan we kept on going West as instructed our surface boat. There was plenty of pelagics, saw also a Napoleon Wrasse in the distance but the most impressive sight was the overhangs, especially the last one that when I looked under it it gave the impression of a cathedral.

BA chart 3323

An overhang

Whitetip soldierfish

Eyestripe surgeonfish

Vermilion rock cod

Vermilion rock cod

The wall

Diana's hogfish

Soldierfish above clam

Orange anthia, male

Orange anthia, male

Orange anthia, female

Boomerang triggerfish

Duskyfin rock cod

Yellowtail wrasse

Lionfish

Yellowfin surgeonfish (?)

Napoleon Maori wrasse

Powder-blue surgeonfish

Checkerboard wrasse

Peacock rock cod

Powder-blue surgeonfish

Sailfin tang

Spotted unicornfish

Almost at the surface

Checkerboard wrasse

Yellowhead butterflyfish

Yellowhead butterflyfish