MALDIVES
BAA-MALE
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Location Baa -Raa-Lhaviyani-Male
Duration 7 nights
Vessel MY Duke of York
Level Open Water
Manta Expert TBC
HIGHLIGHTS
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Start your journey in Baa Atoll, home to the famous Hanifaru Bay and its spectacular manta aggregations
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Chance to encounter the gentlest giant of the sea, the whale shark
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Venture into Raa Atoll, a region regularly visited by mantas and hosting stunning dive sites
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Join the thrilling, shark-filled channel dives that Lhaviyani Atoll is known for
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Conclude in North Malé Atoll for more mantas, with dynamic thilas, drop-offs, and abundant reef fish
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Experience the full range of Maldivian diving from shark filled channels, to manta cleaning and feeding sites, to reefs teeming with marine life
Feeding Mantas
Whale Sharks
Cleaning Mantas
Embark on an extraordinary journey through the northern atolls of the Maldives, starting in Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and home to the world-famous Hanifaru Bay. During the plankton-rich southwest monsoon, dozens of mantas gather here to feed in coordinated formations—chains, and at times full cyclones—often accompanied by whale sharks. Floating among these giants is a rare and humbling experience that captures the true magic of the Maldives. Baa Atoll also offers beautiful aquarium-style dive sites teeming with diverse and colourful marine life, from graceful turtles to endless schools of fusiliers and the Maldives’ wonderfully odd reef creatures.
From Baa, we navigate northward to less visited Raa Atoll, home to some incredibly diverse and rich pinnacles such as Anemone Thila and Beryan Thila where grey reef sharks, garden of anemones, dramatic outer reef drop-offs, turtles and cleaning manta rays will keep you in awe! Raa Atoll is also one of the most productive northern atolls and here you will have more chances to encounter both groups of cleaning and feeding mantas!
Next, the expedition leads us to Lhaviyani Atoll, which offers pristine cleaning stations where manta rays pause to have parasites removed by cleaner wrasse. The strong currents here attract large numbers of pelagic species, offering spectacular shark filled channel and drift dives along steep walls adorned with soft corals and sponges. As you glide with the current, you’ll witness the incredible biodiversity of the Maldives!
The expedition concludes in Malé Atoll, the gateway to northern Maldives waters. Here, dramatic thilas, channels, and drop-offs host abundant reef life — schools of fusiliers, turtles, reef sharks, and mantas gliding gracefully along vibrant coral slopes. Every dive offers the thrill of exploration and the magic of encountering these gentle giants in their natural habitat.
The weather in the Maldives at this time of the year is likely to be more changeable, the monsoonal conditions are exactly what create the planktonic blooms upon which the mantas and whale sharks aggregate to feed. Whilst we can never guarantee these natural events, we have put together an expedition that maximises our chances of being in the right place at the right time, guided by the expertise of a Manta Trust scientist!
Between dives, relax aboard the expedition vessel, share insights from your onboard manta expert, and contribute to photo-ID research programs. Experience the less explored, pristine northern gems of the Maldives, a journey out of the ordinary!
Note: The inclusion of Hanifaru Bay is dependent on the time of year, the number of mantas in the bay (or lack thereof) as well as the availability of government-licensed guides and restrictions imposed by the rangers.
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A TYPICAL ITINERARY
Day 1:
Embarkation followed by introductions, boat and safety briefings, lunch, check-dive (time permitting) and dinner.
Day 2-6:
Up to 3 dives a day, typically scheduled as follows:
- Light Breakfast followed by a briefing & Dive 1
- Full Breakfast, relax, briefing & Dive 2
- Lunch, relax, briefing & Dive 3*
- Snack, relax
- Workshops & presentations by onboard Manta Expert
- Dinner
* in case of a sunset or night dive, the schedule will be slightly amended
The itinerary of the cruise is kept flexible to adapt to best conditions and manta sightings
Day 7:
One morning dive
Day 8:
Breakfast on board followed by disembarkation and transfer to the
airport
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One of my best expeditions in 40 years of diving the oceans.
Just great, wonderful !
Marcus Koch, Manta Passion 8
MEET YOUR MANTA EXPERT
As on all Manta Expeditions, a Manta Trust scientist will be onboard for its entire duration, offering everyone the opportunity to interact and learn from a leading manta expert. The presence of a Manta Trust scientist onboard will enhance your experience in a number of ways: • motivate and inspire you, by learning about the marine ecosystems you will be exploring • gain access to an accumulated wealth of knowledge and expertise, providing you the opportunity to become actively involved in cutting-edge scientific research. • offer you an educational and much more rewarding experience by making your underwater encounters more personal, and by involving you first-hand in marine research and conservation. • be environmentally aware and proactive and become an active member of an initiative which stands to have strong implications for the on-going persistence for manta rays worldwide. Collectively the Manta Trust and Manta Expeditions teams possess over two decades of experience working in the Maldives, studying its manta population and marine life and have assembled a vast amount of knowledge and expertise, knowledge you will have access to on this expedition. A core focus of the expeditions is not only to provide close encounters with manta rays but to enthuse and educate divers in marine conservation issues and the environment surrounding them. Through a series of activities and presentations on topics covering local marine species and habitats led by the Manta Trust expert, you are sure to leave with an increased awareness of the threats facing our oceans and, perhaps more importantly, how you can help. Using the knowledge of the Manta Trust scientists you will gain a brand-new perspective to diving and experiencing the underwater world; by understanding what you see you will gain a better appreciation and love for the ocean and its creatures. Ultimately, with the guidance of the Manta Trust researcher you will have the chance to give something back to the ocean which we believe is fundamental considering how much we take from it!
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The enthusiasm and flexibility of the
crew, the knowledge from Niv and the camaraderie of participants
made this trip magnificent.
Tracey Dennis, Manta Passion 8
YOUR IMPACT
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