Soneva Fushi

Fish Soup Reef: the house reef at a glance

Fish Soup Reef wraps around Kunfunadhoo like a living necklace. The shallow lagoon side is sandy and calm, well suited to wading in at dawn when the water is glass-still. Beyond the break, the reef drops into a series of coral terraces that descend to twenty metres. Hard corals—staghorn, brain, table—form the backbone, while soft corals sway in the current like underwater gardens. Visibility averages thirty metres, so you can see the entire reef system from the surface.

• Direct beach access: step from your villa’s deck into the lagoon and swim straight to the reef.
• No boat needed: the reef starts ten metres from the shore, so you can snorkel whenever the mood strikes.
• Tide-aware: the best snorkelling is at mid to high tide, when the water is deep enough to float over the coral without touching it.
• Guided outings: the marine-biology team leads two daily snorkel trips—morning and sunset—with gear provided.

Marine life you’ll meet

The reef’s residents change with the seasons, but some are year-round fixtures. Green and hawksbill turtles cruise the shallows, grazing on seagrass. Blacktip reef sharks patrol the drop-off, while nurse sharks nap in sandy caves. Schools of fusiliers and anthias dart between the corals, and if you’re lucky, a napoleon wrasse the size of a small child will glide past. From June to November, manta rays gather in nearby Hanifaru Bay—a twenty-minute speedboat ride away—where they barrel-roll through plankton clouds. The resort’s biologists monitor the mantas, so they can adjust the trip’s route to maximise sightings.

• Turtles: green and hawksbill, often seen grazing or resting on the reef flat.
• Rays: eagle rays and occasional manta rays in season (June–November).
• Reef sharks: blacktip and nurse sharks, harmless and curious.
• Dolphins: pods of spinner dolphins pass the island most afternoons, visible from the beach or on a sunset cruise.
• Coral species: over fifty hard and soft coral varieties, including rare blue coral.

Snorkelling the reef: what to expect

The resort provides masks, snorkels, fins, and rash guards—all eco-friendly, so no chemicals leach into the water. If you wear glasses, the dive centre has prescription masks. The morning snorkel trip focuses on the reef’s east side, where the sun lights up the corals. The sunset trip heads west, where the light is softer and turtles are more active. Both trips last about ninety minutes and include a briefing on reef etiquette: no touching, no standing, and no feeding the fish. The water temperature hovers around 28°C year-round, so a shorty wetsuit is optional but rarely needed.

• Morning trip: 09:00–10:30, best for coral colours and fish activity.
• Sunset trip: 16:30–18:00, best for turtles and dolphin sightings.
• Private charters: available for families or groups who want a tailored route.
• Night snorkelling: offered weekly, when bioluminescent plankton lights up the water.

Beyond the house reef: nearby dive sites

While Fish Soup Reef is the star, the Baa Atoll offers other sites within a thirty-minute boat ride. Dhonfanu Thila is a submerged pinnacle covered in soft corals, where schools of batfish and trevally swirl around divers. Hanifaru Bay, a UNESCO Marine Protected Area, is the place to see manta rays in season—sometimes hundreds at once. The resort’s PADI-certified dive centre runs daily trips for all levels, from beginner discover-scuba sessions to advanced drift dives. They also offer freediving courses, so you can learn to hold your breath and glide alongside the mantas.

• Dhonfanu Thila: soft-coral pinnacle, batfish, trevally, 12–25 metres.
• Hanifaru Bay: manta ray cleaning station, June–November, 5–15 metres.
• Kudarikilu Caves: swim-throughs with nurse sharks, 18–22 metres.
• Fares Thila: drift dive with eagle rays and turtles, 10–20 metres.

Protecting the reef: Soneva’s conservation efforts

The resort’s marine-biology team runs several initiatives to keep the reef healthy. The coral-nursery programme grows fragments of broken coral on underwater frames, then transplants them back onto the reef. Guests can sponsor a coral fragment or help with the transplanting. The resort also hosts an annual manta-ray research expedition in partnership with the Manta Trust, where guests can assist with photo identification and data collection. On land, the Eco Centro recycles glass into art, composts food waste, and produces biochar, ensuring that the island’s footprint stays light. Firsthand how these efforts pay off: the reef is more vibrant now than

• Coral nursery: grow and transplant coral fragments to restore damaged areas.
• Manta Trust partnership: annual research expeditions with guest participation.
• Glass Studio: recycle glass waste into art and functional items.
• Eco Centro: compost food waste, produce biochar, and filter grey water for irrigation.