Hanifaru Bay is a small bay in Baa Atoll, Maldives, and for a few months each year it becomes one of the most extraordinary places in the ocean. During southwest monsoon months, plankton concentrations trigger mass manta ray feeding events, sometimes with over 200 animals circling the bay simultaneously.

Why Hanifaru Bay Is Special

Most manta ray encounters involve one or two animals at a cleaning station. Hanifaru is different. The bay's geography creates a natural plankton trap: its shape combined with tidal currents concentrates nutrients in a way that happens in very few places on earth. When conditions align, full moon, southwest monsoon, warm water, the plankton blooms and the mantas arrive in extraordinary numbers.

The feeding behavior here is also unique. Instead of the slow, looping patterns you see in open water, Hanifaru mantas feed in tight spiral formations, sometimes completely somersaulting to stay in the densest plankton patches. Watching 50 to 200 animals doing this simultaneously, stacking above and below each other in slow motion, is something that's genuinely hard to process in the moment.

When to Go

The season runs from May through November, peaking in August and September. The best events are closely tied to full moon cycles. The lunar pull concentrates nutrients, which triggers the feeding aggregations. If you can align your visit with a full moon window in August or September, your chances of witnessing a major aggregation are significantly higher.

Access and Rules

Hanifaru Bay is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Only snorkeling is permitted, no scuba diving. This protects the animals from bubble disturbance during feeding. Group sizes are limited, and only authorized operators can bring guests inside the bay. Flash photography is prohibited. These rules exist because strict management has brought the aggregations back to their full scale after years of overcrowding caused behavioral damage.

What to Expect

Most operators depart in the morning as aggregations tend to peak during the rising tide. Not every day produces a major event. Some days you'll see 10 mantas feeding quietly. Other days you'll slip into the water and find yourself surrounded by hundreds. In these moments, the rule is simple: stay calm, stay slow, and let them do their thing.

Whale Sharks at Hanifaru

During peak months, whale sharks also appear at Hanifaru, drawn by the same plankton blooms. It's not unusual to be in the water with both mantas and whale sharks at the same time, one of the very few places on earth where this happens naturally. Watching whale sharks pass beneath a manta aggregation is as close to sensory overload as the ocean gets.