Bathala Thila

Bathala Thila is a reef pinnacle, or thila, in Baa Atoll, an atoll designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve on the western side of the Maldives. It sits near Bathalaa island, one of the resort islands in the atoll, and thila dives in this part of the Maldives are typically reached by dhoni from nearby resorts. The site reaches a maximum depth of around 15 metres and is generally treated as an intermediate dive. Divers have also reported nurse sharks resting along the reef and stonefish tucked into the structure, so care is worth taking when placing hands or fins near the bottom.

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

• Giant MorayGymnothorax javanicusReported here · unconfirmed
• Sabre SquirrelfishSargocentron spiniferumReported here · unconfirmed
• Oriental SweetlipsPlectorhinchus vittatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Redlip ParrotfishScarus rubroviolaceusReported here · unconfirmed
• Clown TriggerfishBalistoides conspicillumReported here · unconfirmed
• Variable Bushy Feather StarComaster schlegeliiReported here · unconfirmed
• Blackfin AnemonefishAmphiprion nigripesReported here · unconfirmed
• Varicose Wart SlugPhyllidia varicosaReported here · unconfirmed
• Whitetip Reef SharkTriaenodon obesusReported here · unconfirmed
• Nurse sharkNurse sharkReported here · unconfirmed
• StonefishStonefishReported here · unconfirmed