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| Scuba Diving | Surfing | Dolphin Watching | Excursions | Visiting Male' | |
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| Diving - Dive Sites > Kuda Rah Thila | |||||
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| Dive Schools | Dive Safety | Dive Watch | Under Water Photo Gallery | |
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| Dive Sites > || Maldive Victory Wreck || Guraidhoo Corner || Banana Reef || |
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|| Kuda Rah Thila ( Broken Thila ) || Mushi Mas Mingili Thila - Shark Thila || |
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| Kuda Rah Thila ( Broken Thila ) | |||||
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Location Broken Rock lies in the southernmost corner of the Ari Atoll, on the eastern side. The closest islands are Dhangethi to the north and Dhigurah to the south. The thila, which seems to have been cleft asunder by a blow from a giant axe, is some 70 metres (230 feet) in length, and rises to a depth of some 13 metres (43 feet) beneath the surface. The remarkable aspect of this coral base is the enormous canyon that runs diagonally across the centre, from southeast to northwest. With a depth of 22 metres (72 feet), this cleft was the source of the name, Broken Rock. On the eastern side is a jutting formation with a remarkable shape, and another small plateau, at a depth of 17 metres. Dives Aside from the considerable depth of the reef top, diving in this site is fairly easy. There are several decisive factors in any decision regarding the techniques to be used on this dive: the currents, which can be very strong at times, but also the level of experience of the participating divers. With weak currents, one can dive directly on to the top of the reef. The most elegant technique, which is also the simplest in the presence of powerful currents, is to dive at some distance from the reef, in the open ocean, and then to swim in the reef with the current. It is also possible to moor the boat on the reef itself, if it becomes necessary to enter and emerge from the water by means of a line. Life Forms The dive site is embellished by a great many soft corals and by a teeming and varied abundance of fish. Depending on how the current is running, a scuba diver can always encounter different species. Unlike the situation in other sites, the true, permanent inhabitants are few in number. There is however always the possibility of running into a grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) or two, or a school of barracuda (Sphyraena sp.). A mixed group of batfish (Platax teira) and blue fusiliers (Caesio lunaris) are usually guests at Broken Rock, as are the many sea turtles (Eretmochelys inbricata). The jutting crags on the northeastern side are populated by a great many tiny animals. One can, of course, gain an overall idea of the various animals and corals by swimming all the way around the thila, which is eminently possible if the currents are weak. Safety The plateau of Broken Rock lies at a depth of some 13 metres (43 feet). This means that, when doing a drift-dive, the safety stop has to be made in the open water with a parachute. If one moors the boat over the summit of the reef, the dive should be planned so as to end near the boat. Particular care should therefore be paid to the direction of the currents and the air supply. Respect for the Environment As always, when drift-diving one must be careful to keep a greater margin of distance from the corals. The risk of being swept away by currents against a block of coral or against soft corals is, in fact, greater than it would be in calmer waters. A number of parts of the canyon and the coral base on the northeastern side invite the scuba diver to make a closer examination. But truly tight passages should be avoided, because there is a danger of harming the formations with one’s fins or other parts of one’s diving equipment. Photography Broken Rock offers a great many opportunities both with lenses with short depths of field, and with wide-angle lenses. Particularly handsome underwater photography of seascapes can be done near the jutting crags in the northeastern section. In the morning, the interplay of light can be truly remarkable. |
 A motionless redmouth grouper (Aethaloperca rogaa) waits patiently while a minuscule cleaner shrimp works to free its skin from parasites.
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