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Reefs / Gnaviyani / Fuvahmulah
Island reef

Fuvahmulah

One reef, shared by 22 properties on Fuvahmulah. Measured from satellite — the same water whichever of them you book.

Excellent reef Modelled — no in-water survey
Reef Conditions
7.7
Rating
Excellent
Atoll
Gnaviyani
Properties here
22

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

Reef Conditions · measured from satellite

7.7Excellent

The reef at Fuvahmulah’s island — shared by 22 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
7.8
56% of the mapped reef is coral or algae (0.76 km² mapped) · reduced 0.3 for heat stress since the imagery (peak DHW 4.7)
Reef structureThe wall — slope, crest and extent
9.1
50% reef slope (0.51 km²) · reef crest present
Accessibility & easeHow far to the drop-off, and what you cross
6.3
518 m to the drop-off · 42% 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 · Gnaviyani

5species have published seasonality for this atoll — Tiger shark, Oceanic manta ray, Pelagic thresher shark and more. Timing is monsoon-driven and cited.

Seasonality & sources for Gnaviyani →
How it compares

Against the rest of the country.

This reef
7.7
Maldives median (297 reefs measured)
6.0

The national median across 297 measured reefs is 6.

Recorded here

Recorded in Gnaviyani.

Species that published research has recorded in Gnaviyani. 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.

Oceanic manta ray
Mar–May Expert assessment
Whale shark
Feb–Apr Expert assessment
Tiger shark
Year-round Peer-reviewed
Pelagic thresher shark
7 months Expert assessment
Scalloped hammerhead
7 months Expert assessment

Almost certainly more lives here. We list only what a citable study records for Gnaviyani. 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 Gnaviyani →
Who snorkels this reef

22 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.

Aariyaa View Fuvahmulah → AIG Grand Fuvahmulah → Ataraxis Grand and Spa Fuvahmulah → Calyx Boutique and Spa Fuvahmulah → Endhaa Divers Home Fuvahmulah → Equator Retreat Fuvahmulah → Fuvahmulah Central Fuvahmulah → Hedheykuri Residence Fuvahmulah → Hikers Villa Fuvahmulah → Isle Inn Fuvahmulah → Isle Royal Inn Fuvahmulah → Maa Thundi Fuvahmulah → Ocean Pearl FVM Fuvahmulah → Ocean Shark Inn Fuvahmulah → Sameydhaan Inn Fuvahmulah Fuvahmulah → Shark Lounge Fuvahmulah → Silver County Fuvahmulah → Suffix Retreat Fuvahmulah → The Sandscape Fuvahmulah → Tiger Shark Retreat Fuvahmulah → Wanderlust Fuvahmulah Fuvahmulah → Zero Degree Residence Fuvahmulah →
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.
Fins
The drop-off is about 518 m out — fins make that swim, and holding position in current, far easier.
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.

01
Never touch or stand on coral
It’s a living animal — a single footstep can undo decades of growth.
02
Keep your distance from wildlife
No touching, chasing, riding or cornering turtles, sharks, rays or mantas. Hover and let them come to you.
03
Reef-safe sunscreen only
Oxybenzone and octinoxate bleach coral. Cover up with a rash guard where you can.
04
Fins up, float horizontal
One careless fin-kick snaps fragile branching coral and clouds the water for everyone.
05
Never feed the fish
Feeding unbalances the reef and changes natural behaviour for good.
06
Take only photos, leave only bubbles
No collecting shells, coral or sand — living or dead, it stays on the reef.
Measured from open data — check it yourself
MaldivesMinistry of Tourism registry
Allen Coral AtlasBenthic & geomorphic maps · CC BY 4.0 NOAA Coral Reef WatchHeat-stress record · public domain How we scoreThe method, and its limits