Hanifaru Thila

Hanifaru Thila sits within Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve on the western side of the Maldives archipelago. The site is known worldwide for seasonal aggregations of manta rays, which gather in the area to feed on plankton concentrated by monsoon currents, typically between June and November, and eagle rays are also a regular sighting on the reef. Divers have also reported whale sharks passing through, along with barracuda, fusiliers, snapper, sweetlips and trevally around the reef structure. The site tops out at around 16 metres and is rated a beginner dive over a reef bottom, though a narrow passage and narrow swim-through have been noted by divers there. Because of its ecological sensitivity, diving is restricted and snorkeling is the more common way to experience the aggregations, with strict rules on diver numbers and behavior enforced to protect the animals. Timing a visit to the plankton blooms and current patterns that draw the megafauna in matters more here than technical skill.

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

• SweetlipsSweetlipsReported here · unconfirmed
• Manta rayManta rayConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• Eagle rayEagle rayConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• WhaleWhaleReported here · unconfirmed
• SnapperSnapperReported here · unconfirmed
• FusilierFusilierReported here · unconfirmed
• TrevallyTrevallyReported here · unconfirmed
• BarracudaBarracudaReported here · unconfirmed
• Redlip ParrotfishScarus rubroviolaceusReported here · unconfirmed
• Blackfin AnemonefishAmphiprion nigripesReported here · unconfirmed
• Red-tailed ButterflyfishChaetodon collareReported here · unconfirmed
• Powder Blue TangAcanthurus leucosternonReported here · unconfirmed
• Blacksaddle TobyCanthigaster valentiniReported here · unconfirmed
• Spotted LinckiaLinckia multiforaReported here · unconfirmed
• Tawny Hermit CrabCoenobita rugosusReported here · unconfirmed
• Bluestriped SnapperLutjanus kasmiraReported here · unconfirmed
• Midnight SnapperMacolor macularisReported here · unconfirmed