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Reefs / North Ari / Himandhoo
Island reef

Himandhoo

One reef, shared by 7 properties on Himandhoo. Measured from satellite — the same water whichever of them you book.

Good reef Modelled — no in-water survey
Reef Conditions
5.5
Rating
Good
Atoll
North Ari
Properties here
7

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

Reef Conditions · measured from satellite

5.5Good

The reef at Himandhoo’s island — shared by 7 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
3.8
28% of the mapped reef is coral or algae (1.80 km² mapped) · reduced 0.3 for heat stress since the imagery (peak DHW 4.9)
Reef structureThe wall — slope, crest and extent
5.8
24% reef slope (0.43 km²) · reef crest present
Accessibility & easeHow far to the drop-off, and what you cross
6.8
281 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 · North Ari

3species have published seasonality for this atoll — Reef manta ray, Reef manta ray, Grey reef & whitetip reef sharks. Timing is monsoon-driven and cited.

Seasonality & sources for North Ari →
How it compares

Against the rest of the country.

This reef
5.5
Maldives median (297 reefs measured)
6.0

The national median across 297 measured reefs is 6.

Snorkelling & marine life

Marine life

Himandhoo · North Ari · a shared island reef

Documented in North Aricited

Reef manta ray — southwest-monsoon sites

At Genburugau, feeding runs roughly May to December and was recorded on around 92% of surveys, with peaks in June and December. Maayafushi sees mantas year-round with a southwest-monsoon peak.

May–DecSourceIUCN SSC 2023Harris et al. 2020

Reef manta ray — northeast-monsoon sites

On the atoll’s western and northern edges the season inverts, exactly as the current rule predicts. Gangehi feeds in the northeast monsoon and acts as a nursery, holding about a fifth of Ari’s young-of-year. Veligandu Kandu, off eastern Rasdhoo, runs November to April.

Nov–AprSourceIUCN SSC 2023Anderson et al. 2011

Grey reef & whitetip reef sharks

Year-round at Maaya Thila and Hafza Thila, which hold a documented grey reef aggregation.

Year-roundSourceIUCN SSC 2023
Not established here honest

Turtles — no atoll-level seasonal study exists; treat them as year-round residents rather than a season

Who snorkels this reef

7 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.

Black Pearl Himandhoo Himandhoo → Casa De Himandhoo Himandhoo → Kuri Himandhoo Inn Himandhoo → Manta Sea View Himandhoo → Nika Inn Himandhoo Himandhoo → Origami Inn Himandhoo → White Sand Himandhoo Himandhoo →

Where this reef is

3.92076, 72.74500

The pin is the island centroid from our geocoding — this is an island reef, so every property here shares both the reef and this point. Satellite imagery © Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics.

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.
Fins
The drop-off is about 281 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.