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In the past few weeks, divers and snorkellers staying at Lily Beach Resort & Spa, Maldives, have had numerous encounters with what are probably South Ari Atoll’s major marine attractions: manta rays and whale sharks.

There are several sites very close to Lily Beach that offer the possibility to see these friendly giants up close; at the moment, the place to be is Hukuru Elhi Faru, a.k.a. the Manta Point Rangali in the marine protected area on the west side of the Atoll. This manta hotspot is famous as it is there that mantas arrive to have the cleaner fish remove their parasites. These majestic creatures, whose wingspan can reach 3-4 meters, can be seen hovering above the cleaning stations – and your head! – just like clouds in the sky. Take a look at the movie to get a better idea of what we mean! Once the free ‘spa treatment’ is over, the giants will happily return to their feeding sites – and our divers and snorkellers with them!

Having said that, we would like to thank Francesco for allowing us to use his footage, so you, too, can enjoy some of the pleasures diving around Lily Beach has on offer. Watch this space for more updates on our manta and whale shark populations. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we see them again soon at Hukuru Elhi Faru, Madi Faru, or any other dive sites nearby.