Banana Reef

Banana Reef lies in South Male Atoll, Kaafu Atoll, close to Male, and was one of the earliest reefs in the Maldives to gain international recognition as a dive destination. It is a curved reef formation with an overhang and small caves along its edge, dropping from a shallow reef top down a slope into deeper water. Divers commonly encounter reef fish in large numbers, along with grey reef sharks, napoleon wrasse, and turtles, and the site is known for its coral cover along the plateau and slope. Depths generally range from around 5 metres on the reef top to 30 metres or more along the wall, and despite currents that can pick up with the tide, the site is rated a beginner dive.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Sleek UnicornfishNaso hexacanthusReported here · unconfirmed
• Blackfin AnemonefishAmphiprion nigripesReported here · unconfirmed
• Titan TriggerfishBalistoides viridescensReported here · unconfirmed
• Blackblotched PorcupinefishDiodon liturosusReported here · unconfirmed
• White-spotted Eagle RayAetobatus ocellatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Moon WrasseThalassoma lunareReported here · unconfirmed
• Clark's AnemonefishAmphiprion clarkiiReported here · unconfirmed
• Oriental SweetlipsPlectorhinchus vittatusReported here · unconfirmed