Hanifaru Bay

A small cul-de-sac reef inlet, roughly 700 m long and 200 m wide, on the eastern side of Baa Atoll. During the southwest monsoon tidal currents trap plankton in the bay and large numbers of manta rays, sometimes more than a hundred, gather to feed, with whale sharks appearing in season. It is a core zone of the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and is visited by snorkellers only.

Facts

• Region: Maldives – North & Central Atolls
• Area: Baa Atoll
• Depth: 0–24 m
• Level: beginner
• Current: moderate
• Type: bay, manta
• Coordinates: 5.1732, 73.1443
• Highlights: manta rays (mass feeding, sometimes 100+), whale shark (seasonal), dolphins (occasional), snorkelling only – no scuba
• Permit: Hanifaru Bay is a Marine Protected Area (regulations approved by the government in 2011 and in full effect a year later) and one of the core zones of the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (2011). The MPA rules ban scuba diving and fishing, cap visitor numbers and time in the bay, and are enforced by on-site rangers with heavy fines. Snorkellers pay a daily entrance fee (US$20 per tourist according to the 2016 CMS/Manta Trust factsheet; check the current amount) via tokens bought by the resort, liveaboard or tour operator or on site from the rangers; the fee goes to the Baa Atoll Conservation Fund. A certified guide is required for every 10 snorkellers, and EPA guidelines set alternate access days for resorts and liveaboards. Book through your resort or a licensed operator.
• Issuer / contact: Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve Office / Environmental Protection Agency (Maldives)
  • Phone: +960 660 8466
  • Email: secretariat@environment.gov.mv
  • Website: https://protectedareas.environment.gov.mv/en/protected-areas/hanifaru-region
  • Baa Atoll BR Office 660 8466; ranger hotline +960 790 5949; email is the ministry secretariat address shown on the same page
• Tips: SCUBA DIVING IS BANNED in Hanifaru Bay – it is a snorkel-only site. Season roughly May–November, busiest around spring tides (full and new moon). Visits are by permit with an approved guide; you cannot dive here even with a dive centre. Diving remains possible at other Baa sites.

Sources

• https://www.cms.int/sites/default/files/publication/Elasmobranch%20Tourism_Factsheets_Hanifaru%20Bay.pdf
• https://resortlife.travel/dive-sites/hanifaru-bay-baa
• https://www.padi.com/dive-site/maldives/hanifaru-bay/
• https://visitmaldives.com/en/places/baa-atoll-biosphere-reserve
• https://divessi.com/mydiveguide/destination/baa-atoll-9752201