While the Maldives are generally considered among the top 5 diving destinations in the world, the dives you can experience in the Atoll of Baa are absolutely breathtaking and righteously regarded as the highlight of the entire country. The Bay of Hanifaru, just off the local island of Dharavandoo, which has recently seen the addition of an airport, is simply spectacular and unique.

In the bay, snorkelers can experience an incredible concentration of manta rays and whale sharks. On the outside reef, in the meantime, experienced divers can drift in the deep water channel that separates the bay from the island of Dharavandoo, where an incredible marine biodiversity awaits you.

With the Bay becoming a Marine Protected Area in 2009 and being incorporated into the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in 2011, together with the whole Baa Atoll, Hanifaru is nowadays protected and its population of manta rays grows exponentially every year. Diving is no longer permitted and, to minimize disturbance to these gentle giants, snorkeling is also regulated by strict guidelines.

The bay is the perfect environment for these plankton feeders that come here especially between the months of May and November. The inner reef, with its distinctive keyhole shape, funnels the plankton that manta rays and whale sharks feed upon. The sandy bottom is no deeper that 20 meters and mantas can be seen rolling around while catching food, and forming sort of trains that made the area famous for video and photographers, catching the mesmerizing spiraling manta “cyclones”.