House Reef Quality Predictor
Predict whether a resort's house reef is worth booking for, based on its geography — before you pay the deposit.
Unique: combines atoll geography + reef-side + lagoon depth + reef-protection status into one score.
What this solves
Resorts in the Maldives market their "house reef" aggressively, but quality varies from "world-class drop-off" to "dead coral flat". The five inputs here — atoll, side, channel proximity, lagoon depth, protection — predict the kind of snorkel you'll get in 10 minutes from your deck.
How to read results
- Excellent (80–100): Reef with regular pelagics, healthy coral, drop-off. Baa, Ari south, Addu, Lhaviyani reefs score here.
- Good (60–80): Most reefs at North Malé and other accessible atolls. Turtles, reef sharks, schooling fish.
- Average (40–60): Damaged or sandy. May still be enjoyable if you're not chasing pelagics.
- Poor (< 40): Lagoon-flat with bleached or sandy bottom. Book boat excursions instead.
Limitations
Bleaching (2016 event) reshaped some reefs. We weight protected reefs as more likely to have recovered. Unprotected reefs near Malé may still be slow-recovering.
This is a predictor, not a guarantee. After booking, ask the resort for recent guest photos and the resort's own dive instructor's reef report.
FAQ
Is the east or west side of an island better for a reef?
It depends on the atoll's prevailing currents. East-side reefs often face the open ocean and have more pelagics; west-side reefs are calmer but may be shallower. The atoll matters more than the cardinal direction.
Does a marine protected area always mean good reef?
Most of the time, yes. Hanifaru Bay MPA, Addu MPA, and Baa's protected areas have measurably higher fish biomass than open atolls.
About
Model uses atoll geography, prevailing monsoon currents, and published reef-protection boundaries from EPA Maldives.
Privacy
All scoring runs locally.
Disclaimer
Predictor only. Reef health can change due to bleaching or storm damage.