Lhaviyani Atoll, where Hurawalhi is located, is one of the places in the Maldives that manta rays seem to love! Our resident marine biologists, the resort teams and of course you, dear guests, with your photo submissions, have helped to identify 378 individual manta rays as of end of 2018. Just like our loyal returning guests, many of these gentle giants keep coming back to the area; a whopping 314 have been sighted more than once!

Manta rays are fascinating and clever fish, there is no doubt about that, however they are also extremely vulnerable, which is why Hurawalhi, a strong advocate of sustainable tourism, strictly adheres to Manta Trust’ guidelines on swimming with mantas. All excursions are run responsibly, with great respect for these sensitive giants. Before snorkelling or diving with manta rays, all guests are provided information on how to ensure that interactions are memorable and sustainable in equal measure.

In brief: How to swim with manta rays

• Enter the water quietly
• Keep fins under the water to avoid splashing
• Do not approach closer than 3 metres – let the manta come to you
• Approach from the side – never block its path
• Do not chase the manta as it swims past
• Never touch a manta ray
• When scuba diving at cleaning stations, stay at the side of cleaning stations – never on top
• Keep low but be careful not to damage the reef when scuba diving
• While scuba diving, if a manta swims towards you, stay low and stay still – do not block its path
• In addition, follow local guidelines given during the dive or snorkel briefing

Please visit the How to Swim with Manta Rays website:

Swimwithmantas.org

Trips with marine biologists tend to fill fast – secure a slot on your bucket list activities by booking soon enough through the Hurawalhi App.

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