Hans Hass Place
A sheltered section on the south side of North Malé where part of the wall has fallen away, leaving about 100 m of reef with overhangs and caverns largely out of the current. Ceilings hung with purple sea fans shelter groupers and soldierfish, and anemones, octopus and resting turtles are common, along with rarer species such as leaf scorpionfish. Named after the Austrian diving pioneer.
Facts
- Region: Maldives – North & Central Atolls
- Area: North Malé Atoll
- Level: beginner
- Current: low
- Type: reef, wall
- Coordinates: 4.17, 73.462 (approximate)
- Highlights: swim-throughs/overhangs, sea fans, anemonefish, octopus, turtles, groupers, leaf scorpionfish
- Unverified: No published GPS found; the pin is placed off the south side of Gulhifalhu, which the EPA list names for this protected area (Kollavani in Gulhifalhu). Gulhifalhu has since been reclaimed, so the site's current condition and exact position are unconfirmed; depth figures were not published.
- Tips: Protected since 1995 (Kollavani in Gulhifalhu). Marine Protected Area: fishing, anchoring and taking coral, shells or rock are prohibited. Good for all levels if buoyancy is controlled under the overhangs.