Hanifaru Bay Manta Ray Experience.

About this experience

Hanifaru Bay is a small, uninhabited inlet in Baa Atoll that has earned global recognition as the largest known feeding station for manta rays in the world. During the southwest monsoon, plankton-rich currents funnel into the bay, attracting gatherings of up to 200 manta rays at a time.

Located just ten minutes by speedboat from Dimora Blu, Hanifaru Bay is a protected marine area within the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Boats depart from Dharavandhoo harbour, and you can be in the water before breakfast is cold. Visits are regulated by the Maldivian Environmental Protection Agency — only snorkeling is permitted, and group sizes are strictly limited to minimise disturbance to the animals.

Our guides have been leading Hanifaru trips for years and understand the tidal patterns that trigger feeding events. We time departures from Dimora Blu to maximise your chances of witnessing a mass feeding — a phenomenon where dozens of mantas swim in synchronised spirals, mouths agape, filtering plankton from the water column.

Whale sharks are frequent visitors, and it is not uncommon to snorkel alongside both species in a single session. The experience is humbling — these gentle giants, with wingspans reaching four metres, glide within arm's reach in water as shallow as three metres.