Reefs / South Ari / Fenfushi

Island reef

Fenfushi

One reef, shared by 4 properties on Fenfushi. Measured from satellite — the same water whichever of them you book.

Good reef Shore entry · 158m Modelled — no in-water survey

Reef Conditions

5.9

Rating

Good

Atoll

South Ari

Properties here

Generated 2026-07-18 · Modelled from satellite · No in-water survey yet

Reef Conditions · measured from satellite

5.9Good

The reef at Fenfushi’s island — shared by 4 properties here. Every guesthouse on this island snorkels the same reef, so we score the island, not the doorstep.

Reef cover (modelled)Hard-bottom cover, heat-stress adjusted

4.0

32% of the mapped reef is coral or algae (5.46 km² mapped) · reduced 0.8 for heat stress since the imagery (peak DHW 6.0)

Reef structureThe wall — slope, crest and extent

5.9

22% reef slope (1.21 km²) · reef crest present

Accessibility & easeHow far to the drop-off, and what you cross

7.8

158 m to the drop-off · 68% of the reef is shallow flat to cross

Fish diversity & abundanceNeeds in-water or first-party evidence

Pending

A satellite cannot count fish. We would rather say nothing than guess.

Big encountersNeeds in-water or first-party evidence

Pending

A satellite cannot count fish. We would rather say nothing than guess.

This is Reef Conditions — what a satellite can measure. The full Maldives Index, which adds fish life and big-animal encounters confirmed in the water, has not been awarded to any property yet.

What this is, and isn’t. Measured from the Allen Coral Atlas benthic and geomorphic maps (CC BY 4.0) and NOAA Coral Reef Watch heat-stress records (public domain). Its benthic class is “Coral/Algae” combined — a satellite cannot tell live coral from algae — so this is modelled reef cover, not verified coral health, and never a substitute for being in the water. Imagery vintage 2018-2021; heat stress since then is applied as a penalty.

When to go · South Ari

2species have published seasonality for this atoll — Whale shark, Reef manta ray. Timing is monsoon-driven and cited.

Seasonality & sources for South Ari →

How it compares

Against the rest of the country.

This reef

5.9

Maldives median (297 reefs measured)

6.0

The national median across 297 measured reefs is 6.

Recorded here

Recorded in South Ari.

Species that published research has recorded in South Ari. These are atoll-scale records with a citable source — not a promise you'll meet them at this reef, and the timing is monsoon-driven.

Reef manta ray

5 months Peer-reviewed

Whale shark

Year-round Research programme

Almost certainly more lives here. We list only what a citable study records for South Ari. Turtles and reef sharks live on nearly every Maldivian reef — but no atoll-level study exists for us to point you at, so we do not claim them. Per-reef sighting odds do not exist in any source we could find; where you see a wildlife chart for one resort, someone estimated it.

Full seasonality & every source for South Ari →

Who snorkels this reef

4 properties on this reef.

They share one reef, so they share one score. Which you pick changes your room, your dinner and your budget — it does not change the water.

Fushi Beach Fenfushi → Whale Shark Boutique Fenfushi → Whale Shark Villa Fenfushi → White Tern Maldives Fenfushi →

Before you get in

Pack for this reef.

Chosen from what we measured here — not a generic list.

Mask & snorkel

The one non-negotiable — a well-sealed mask makes or breaks the reef.

Reef-safe sunscreen

Oxybenzone-free — protects you and the coral, and it’s expected on these reefs.

Rash guard / UV top

Hours on the surface add up; covers you and cuts the sunscreen you need.

Reef shoes

Most of this reef is shallow flat (68%) — protects your feet at entry, and the coral from you.

Dry bag

Keeps phone, room key and a towel dry on the walk out to the reef.

The Reef Code

Non-negotiable. These reefs take decades to grow and seconds to damage — the same rules apply on every reef in the index.

Never touch or stand on coral

It’s a living animal — a single footstep can undo decades of growth.

Keep your distance from wildlife

No touching, chasing, riding or cornering turtles, sharks, rays or mantas. Hover and let them come to you.

Reef-safe sunscreen only

Oxybenzone and octinoxate bleach coral. Cover up with a rash guard where you can.

Fins up, float horizontal

One careless fin-kick snaps fragile branching coral and clouds the water for everyone.

Never feed the fish

Feeding unbalances the reef and changes natural behaviour for good.

Take only photos, leave only bubbles

No collecting shells, coral or sand — living or dead, it stays on the reef.