Trip Highlights at Hanifaru Bay with Manta Trust: EcoPro Seascape 24.08 - 03.09.2025

Hanifaru Bay’s peak season has arrived!

From May to November, the southwest monsoon sweeps in, carrying plankton-rich waters into the bay. This transforms Hanifaru Bay into a vibrant gathering and feeding ground for graceful manta rays and majestic whale sharks. During this magical season, we offer several northern atoll adventures. Each trip in the northern atolls features a stop at the world-famous Hanifaru Bay Biosphere Reserve.

On August 24, we embarked on a 10-day liveaboard trip at EcoPro Seascape from Male to Baa Atoll, but this is no ordinary liveaboard diving trip.   At least once a year, EcoPro Divers invites a member of the Manta Trust organisation to join our northern atoll trip to share valuable insights and knowledge on the secrets of the rich marine ecosystem. This time, we were joined by a passionate marine biologist, Summer Newton. Each day, we enjoyed the lively and fascinating presentation of different topics that sparked the curiosity of both the guests and crew. Interesting topics included an introduction to the Maldives, its rich history and culture, the intriguing story of how atolls were formed, the complexities of the coral reef ecosystem, how to interact with the whale sharks and other marine species, and many more.  By the end of the trip, our guests are definitely packed with useful knowledge about the marine life.

Of course, this wasn’t the only highlight of the trip! Inside Hanifaru Bay, we were treated to a wonderful spectacle of numerous manta rays gliding gracefully across the plankton-rich waters to feed. But the magic did not end inside the bay!  As we continued our adventure within Baa Atoll, we were surprised by two rare encounters while diving: a cyclone of mantas and a mating of mantas!  And as if that wasn’t enough, several whale sharks also made an appearance! This unexpected encounter while diving outside Hanifaru Bay left us all marvelling in silent (for obvious reasons) reverie (okay, there might be a quick muffled scream of excitement), as you usually only see this inside the Hanifaru Bay. This unforgettable experience reminded us of how wild and unpredictable marine animals can be.

Towards the end of the trip, the lovely weather permitted us to enjoy a sundowner on an uninhabited island.  This quick land excursion is a welcome break for all of the guests and allowed everyone to exchange diving anecdotes.  It was a glorious way to end the day - catching the last golden rays of the sunset with a refreshing drink in hand, it could not get any better.

Join us again next year! Save the date, 20 to 30 September 2026, Hanifaru Bay with Manta Trust, and secure your slot now!

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