YOGA & MANTAS
RETREAT
Location Central & North Maldives
Duration 7 nights
Vessel Duke of York
Level Snorkel friendly / Open Water
Manta Expert Frances Budd
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In this one of a kind expedition, Yoga for The Wild and Manta Expeditions get together to bring you a Yoga & mantas retreat.
Deepen your practice, or start a new one whilst cruising through turquoise waters, meet the gentle giants of the sea, learn and experience their world first hand. Embark on a journey of discovery and contribute to manta research and conservation.
Yoga for the Wild is based in the UK and the USA, the founders Kat & Laura came together during Covid as fellow conservationists and yoga teachers to host online yoga classes that raised over $8,000 for the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya who’s wild residents were under threat due to a lack of tourism income. In 2022 they took two amazing groups of wilderness loving people to one of their favourite places in Africa to practice yoga in the wild, with the wild, for the wild.
Since then their retreats raised over $11,000 for the conservancy and Kat & Laura realised how powerful these events can be for the conservation projects they support and the people that joined them on their retreats.
Today Yoga for the Wild keeps growing, leaning on yoga and its community to help raise awareness and funds for important conservation initiatives.
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HIGHLIGHTS
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Daily Vinyasa Yoga and meditation sessions led by Yoga for the Wild founders
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Experience the wonder of immersing yourself among a feeding frenzy of these gentle giants
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Enjoy the incredible variety of dive/snorkel sites and marine life of the Maldives with chances to encounter manta rays, turtles, whale sharks, schooling reef fishes, coral gardens and much more!
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Learn from your dedicated Manta Trust expert through daily presentations
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Participate in workshops & help scientists collect meaningful data to further manta ray research and conservation!
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Manta Feeding Aggregations
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Yoga Sessions
Cleaning Mantas
This unique expedition combines yoga practice with cruising the warm ocean waters, snorkelling, diving (for those who wish to dive), exploring local islands, doing beach clean ups, BBQ’ing, taking in conservation education and lounging on forgotten sand banks. The Maldives is teeming with wildlife and we’ll enjoy respectful encounters with reef fish, manta rays, whale sharks and more on our snorkelling and dive trips each day.
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Ari Atoll – Home to the second-largest manta population in the Maldives, this atoll offers numerous opportunities to witness both feeding and cleaning aggregations of these magnificent creatures. A key highlight here is the chance to swim with mantas feeding at night within one of the local lagoons – an absolutely magical experience! In addition, here you will get the chance to snorkel and dive on pristine coral reefs!
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Baa Atoll – Off the beaten path for most dive liveaboards, Baa Atoll is a more remote region we’ll explore for a few days, specifically to witness the extraordinary manta feeding frenzy at Hanifaru Bay (and hopefully encounter a whale shark too!). Witnessing the world’s largest fish feeding alongside the world's largest rays is an experience most people will never forget.
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Raa Atoll – Just north of Baa, Raa Atoll is a less-visited area yet home to a large population of manta rays. Here we will be snorkelling and diving on reefs filled with multi-coloured tropical reef fishes, schooling butterflyfishes and hawksbill turtles while seeking more encounters with manta rays.
​At this time of year, the weather in the Maldives can be more variable, but these monsoonal conditions are precisely what create the planktonic blooms that attract mantas and whale sharks in huge numbers.
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While we can never guarantee these natural events, we’ve designed the trip to maximize our chances of being in the right place at the right time, guided by the expertise of Manta Trust scientist, Niv Froman.
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NOTE: The itinerary of the cruise may be subject to changes based on the weather and ocean conditions.
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A TYPICAL ITINERARY
Day 1:
The team will welcome you at airport upon arrival
Transfer to the vessel between 10am-2pm
Depending on guest arrival times, snorkeling/dive excursion
Sundowners on the boat
Dinner & Welcome celebration
Day 2-7:
1-2 snorkel/dives daily
1-2 Yoga classes daily
Snorkel and dive opportunities
Local and deserted islands visits and beach clean-ups
Boat/Beach sundowner
Workshops & presentations by onboard Manta Expert
The itinerary of the cruise is kept flexible to adapt to best conditions and manta sightings
Day 8:
Check-out (8am latest)
Transfer to the airport
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So much more than just a yoga holiday. I'd recommend anyone interested in yoga and animal conservation to try and join Laura & Kat on their next adventure.
You will never forget it.
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Diana, Yoga for The Wild Kenya 2020
MEET YOUR MANTA EXPERT
Frankie was extremely lucky to see oceanic manta rays during her first ever dives and has loved them ever since. With a goal of working in the marine conservation sector, she studied Ecology and Environmental Science at the University of Edinburgh and gained some field experience working with Operation Wallacea teaching scientific survey techniques to young adults. Having interned with the Manta Trust's affiliate project, the Manta Caribbean Project, Frankie went on to be Project Manager in Lhaviyani Atoll for the Manta Trust's flagship project in the Maldives, studying the local subpopulation of manta rays and contributing to other conservation efforts in the area. Now, whilst her role has evolved away from the water, as the charity's Relationship Manager, she makes the most of every opportunity to assist with our research and outreach efforts in the field. Being in the ocean is her favourite place to be.
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Unforgettable experience, being accompanied by a Manta Trust biologist in the encounter with manta rays was beautiful!! An absolute must do!!
Elena, Manta Hotspots 2024
YOUR IMPACT
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