Hanifaru Bay

Hanifaru Bay is a marine protected area within Baa Atoll in the Maldives, part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve, best known as a seasonal feeding ground where manta rays and whale sharks gather to filter feed when plankton concentrates in the bay. The bottom here is rock, and conditions are rated suitable for beginners. Much of the activity is done as snorkeling rather than scuba given the shallow, protected nature of the site, and access is tightly regulated to limit diver numbers and protect the animals. The gathering of megafauna is tied to monsoon currents that push plankton into the bay, mainly between May and November. Divers and snorkelers here have also reported barracuda, batfish, and snapper moving through the bay alongside the mantas and whale sharks.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Redlip ParrotfishScarus rubroviolaceusReported here · unconfirmed
• Blackfin AnemonefishAmphiprion nigripesReported here · unconfirmed
• Red-tailed ButterflyfishChaetodon collareReported here · unconfirmed
• Clark's AnemonefishAmphiprion clarkiiReported here · unconfirmed
• Blacksaddle TobyCanthigaster valentiniReported here · unconfirmed
• Bluestriped SnapperLutjanus kasmiraReported here · unconfirmed
• Midnight SnapperMacolor macularisReported here · unconfirmed
• Napoleon WrasseCheilinus undulatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Powder Blue TangAcanthurus leucosternonReported here · unconfirmed
• BarracudaBarracudaReported here · unconfirmed
• Whale SharkRhincodon typusConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
• Manta rayManta rayConfirmed present · 5 independent sources
• SnapperSnapperReported here · unconfirmed
• BatfishBatfishReported here · unconfirmed