Dhikkuredhdhoo & Madivaafaru is located in central Raa Atoll in the northern Maldives. The area comprises four islands, one sand bank, and multiple underwater reef pinnacles, locally known as thilas, of various sizes.

This area is influenced by the South Asian Monsoon (Gischler et al. 2013). Productivity in this region peaks during the southwest monsoon (May to November) (J Haines pers. obs. 2019–2022), when the weather is typically characterised by more rain and cloud cover, along with reduced underwater visibility and stronger wind speeds resulting in rougher seas (Stevens & Froman 2019). The strong monsoonal winds create oceanic currents that flow from the southwest towards the northeast during the southwest monsoon. The central reefs of this area act as a barrier to these currents, displacing the water as it flows through and around the atoll, creating deepwater upwellings that bring nutrient rich water into the euphotic zone and phytoplankton blooms, therefore, increasing zooplankton abundance (Anderson et al. 2011; Stewart et al. 2019).

Dhikkuredhdhoo is the southernmost part of the area, comprised of a large sand bank surrounded by a shallow lagoon and oval shaped reef, sloping down to a sandy bottom of ~10 m, with a finger shaped underwater reef pinnacle that reaches depths of ~20 m. To the west is Dhikkuredhdhoo Island and several small rounded underwater reef pinnacles with maximum depths of ~40 m between them.

Madivaafaru describes the northernmost part of the area, which is comprised of three islands and multiple underwater reef pinnacles. Muravandhoo Thila is a deeper underwater reef pinnacle with a top of ~15 m and steep edges reaching depths of ~40 m. In the centre is Madivaafaru Island surrounded by a shallow top reef of ~3 m that reaches depths of ~40 m on the outside. To the eastern side of the area is Boduhaiykodi Island and Kudahaiykodi, a very shallow reef pinnacle that protrudes the surface of the water. These two reefs are the smallest in the area with varying depths of ~5–50 m. Separating the northern and southern parts of the area is a more open ocean area, reaching depths of ~60 m.

This Important Shark and Ray Area is benthopelagic and is delineated from inshore and surface waters (0 m) to 60 m based on the bathymetry of the area.