Reefs / Baa Atoll / Kamadhoo

Island reef

Kamadhoo

One reef, shared by 14 properties on Kamadhoo. Measured from satellite — the same water whichever of them you book.

Very Good reef Modelled — no in-water survey

Reef Conditions

6.5

Rating

Very Good

Atoll

Baa Atoll

Properties here

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

Reef Conditions · measured from satellite

6.5Very Good

The reef at Kamadhoo’s island — shared by 14 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

6.3

44% of the mapped reef is coral or algae (0.29 km² mapped) · reduced 0.1 for heat stress since the imagery (peak DHW 4.1)

Reef structureThe wall — slope, crest and extent

6.0

35% reef slope (0.10 km²) · no defined crest

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

7.3

252 m to the drop-off · 64% 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 · Baa Atoll

3species have published seasonality for this atoll — Reef manta ray, Reef manta ray, Whale shark. Timing is monsoon-driven and cited.

Seasonality & sources for Baa Atoll →

How it compares

Against the rest of the country.

This reef

6.5

Maldives median (297 reefs measured)

6.0

The national median across 297 measured reefs is 6.

Recorded here

Recorded in Baa Atoll.

Species that published research has recorded in Baa Atoll. 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

May–Nov Peer-reviewed

Whale shark

May–Nov Expert assessment

Almost certainly more lives here. We list only what a citable study records for Baa Atoll. 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 Baa Atoll →

Who snorkels this reef

14 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.

Akomadoo Kamadhoo → Biosphere by Hawks Kamadhoo → Cher Maldives Kamadhoo → Go Kamadhoo Kamadhoo → Hanifaru Beach Inn Kamadhoo → Ithaa Inn Kamadhoo Kamadhoo → Kamadhoo Inn Kamadhoo → La Plage Maldives Kamadhoo → Nest by Hawks Kamadhoo → Seagrove Inn Kamadhoo → Silver Bay Kamadhoo Kamadhoo → Swarn By Hawks Kamadhoo → View Kamadhoo Kamadhoo → Wings by Hawks Kamadhoo →

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 (64%) — protects your feet at entry, and the coral from you.

Fins

The drop-off is about 252 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.

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.