Manta Packed Full Day
27 Jan 2010
Yesterday’s full day trip here in the Lhaviyani Atoll was an incredible day packed full with majestic Manta Rays. 13 of Kuredu’s divers headed down to the south of the Atoll, with one goal in mind – to find the elusive Manta.
Markus and James, the two guides for the full day, decided to first check out Madivaru Thila. Madivaru Thila sits directly in a channel, and is therefore influenced by the currents that run right over the top of it. But it is these currents that have made Madivaru Thila one of the nicest dive sites for coral and fish life here in the Atoll. After enjoying the beautiful hard coral growth and the abundant fish life, the divers were greeted by a Manta Ray that cruised over the top reef before dropping a bit deeper and passing the divers. A good start to the day.
Before heading to Dhidhoo (a deserted island) for a BBQ lunch the boat passed by Dhanifaru, and area with a good chance of seeing Mantas feeding close to the surface. One hour later, the divers got back on the boat, having been blown away by the display put on by the 15 – 20 gentle giants that were tucking into the plankton which gathers at this site. Manta encounters such as this are common at Dhanifaru during this time of the year, and in addition to running these full day dive trips, we also offer full day snorkel boats that check the area throughout the day for any Manta activity.
Following a lazy lunch on the deserted island of Dhidhoo, the group headed over the Hani Kandu for a topping of stingrays, napoleons and moray eels before heading back to Kuredu.
The Last 7 Days . . . On Kuredu section of this site features a movie containing the highlights from the trip.