Bodu Hithi Kandu is located in the northern-central Maldives archipelago which sits centrally upon the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge (Stevens & Froman 2019). This area is mainly located in a major channel in western North Malé Atoll. Channels, known locally as kandu, are recognised by high current flow (Stevens & Froman 2019). This area is composed of three sites: Boduhithi Kandu, Boduhithi Thila, and North Rasfari.

Boduhithi Kandu (also known as Hithi Kandu) is a smaller channel within this area on the outer edge of the atoll. Its deepest part at the edge of the atoll is ~30 m and becomes shallower (~2 m) when reaching Boduhithi Faru which is a lagoon with sandy substrate and a shallow, sloping reef at the inner edge of the major channel.

Boduhithi Thila sits in the centre of the mouth of the major channel. Thila is the local name for underwater pinnacle reef where the top of the reef is completely submerged, even during low tide (Godfrey 2023). The thila is 8 m at its shallowest point and ~30 m at its deepest point. The thila is split into two parts with a channel running between, with a sandy substrate and coral bommies. Incoming currents bring in a high density of zooplankton (Armstrong et al. 2021).

North Rasfari is located in the southern entrance of the major channel, bordering the northern corner of Rasfari reef with calm, shallow environments at 5 m depth (Godfrey 2023).

The weather in the Maldives is strongly influenced by the South Asian monsoon, especially the northern and central atolls as these are closer to the Indian subcontinent (Anderson et al. 2011). Two monsoons occur annually in Maldives: the southwest monsoon (known locally as Hulhangu), from May to November, and the northeast monsoon (known locally as Iruvai), from January to March, with transitional periods in December and April (Shankar et al. 2002; Anderson et al. 2011). The southwest monsoon increases average rainfall and wind speeds, causing rougher seas and reduced visibility; in contrast, the northeast monsoon usually brings clear waters (Stevens & Froman 2019).

The Maldives archipelago disrupts the flow of the monsoon-driven North Equatorial Current as it crosses the Indian Ocean (Schott & McCreary 2001) which creates a current flow through the channels of the Maldives (Sasamal 2006). The strongest lunar currents can overcome the prevailing monsoonal currents through the tidal suction mechanism along the channel’s outer edges (Stevens 2016).

This area partially overlaps with a Rasfari Marine Protected Area which encompasses North Rasfari and a part of Boduhithi Thila.

This Important Shark and Ray Area is benthopelagic and is delineated from inshore and surface waters (0 m) to 40 m based on the bathymetry of the area.