Reefs / Lhaviyani / Six Senses Kanuhura

House reef

Six Senses Kanuhura

This page scores the house reef, measured from satellite. It is not the resort page — for rooms, photos and booking, head there.

Very Good reef Modelled — no in-water survey

Stay here → Six Senses Kanuhura — rooms, photos & booking

Reef Conditions

6.5

Rating

Very Good

Atoll

Lhaviyani

Reef type

Private house reef

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

Reef Conditions · measured from satellite

6.5Very Good

Six Senses Kanuhura’s house reef, measured from satellite rather than described from memory.

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

4.1

33% of the mapped reef is coral or algae (4.43 km² mapped) · reduced 0.7 for heat stress since the imagery (peak DHW 5.9)

Reef structureThe wall — slope, crest and extent

7.2

33% reef slope (1.32 km²) · reef crest present

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

8.3

214 m to the drop-off · 50% 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 · Lhaviyani

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

Seasonality & sources for Lhaviyani →

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.

Snorkelling & marine life

Marine life

Six Senses Kanuhura · Lhaviyani · a house reef

Documented in Lhaviyanicited

Reef manta ray

Feeding peaks with the northeast monsoon — at Fushifaru Kandu around its start, and near Kuredhu, Huravalhi and Komandoo roughly January to March.

Jan–MarSourceIUCN SSC 2023 Harris et al. 2020

Grey reef shark

Fushifaru Kandu holds the largest grey reef shark aggregation documented anywhere in the Maldives.

Year-roundSourceIUCN SSC 2023

Eagle & fantail rays

Spotted eagle rays and blotched fantail rays are recorded year-round, and ornate eagle rays show no seasonality at all. There is a blacktip reef shark nursery in the atoll.

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

Where to stay

One resort sits on this reef.

Six Senses Kanuhura

Kanuhuraa · Lhaviyani — its own private island

Rooms, photos & booking →

Where this reef is

5.53371, 73.50612

The pin is the island centroid from our geocoding, not the building — properties on the same island share it. 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 (50%) — protects your feet at entry, and the coral from you.

Fins

The drop-off is about 214 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.