Hanifaru Bay Manta Snorkelling in Baa Atoll, Maldives

Hanifaru Bay is a dive site in Baa Atoll (Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi), Maldives.

See below for all liveaboards that dive Hanifaru Bay.

The liveaboard shown opposite is the highest customer rated liveaboard diving Hanifaru Bay, scoring 9.4/10. You can easily book the White Pearl Liveaboard using this link.

Snorkel in protected Hanifaru Bay when seasonal plankton attracts extraordinary gatherings of manta rays and occasional whale sharks. Scuba diving is prohibited, so this is a carefully managed non-diving itinerary stop where licensed guides and visitor rules protect one of Baa Atoll’s most remarkable wildlife encounters.

The liveaboard shown opposite is the second highest customer rated liveaboard diving Hanifaru Bay, scoring 9.2/10. You can easily book the Soleil 2 liveaboard using this link.

Maldives liveaboards that dive Hanifaru Bay

Below are all the dive liveaboards currently found for Hanifaru Bay in the Maldives, sorted from highest to lowest customer liveaboard rating, with unrated liveaboards shown last.

White Pearl Liveaboard

Maldives

Liveaboard Rated: 9.4/10

SDE Rating: 76%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the White Pearl Liveaboard: 76%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the White Pearl Liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the White Pearl Liveaboard are ([Diving:10/10] + [Cabin:7/10] + [Boat:7/10] + [Dining:8/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:6/10] = 38/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the White Pearl Liveaboard is calculated as 38/60 = 76% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £284.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 13·Bathrooms: 16·Guests: 28

Length: 56.4 m·Beam: 10.2 m

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 50 logged dives

Soleil 2

Maldives

Liveaboard Rated: 9.2/10

SDE Rating: 86%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Soleil 2 Liveaboard: 86%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Soleil 2 liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Soleil 2 liveaboard are ([Diving:10/10] + [Cabin:8/10] + [Boat:8/10] + [Dining:10/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:7/10] = 43/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Soleil 2 liveaboard is calculated as 43/60 = 86% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £158.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 15·Bathrooms: 15·Guests: 30

Length: 40.5 m·Beam: 12 m

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 50 logged dives

Ocean One Liveaboard

Maldives

Liveaboard Rated: 9.3/10

SDE Rating: 75%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Ocean One Liveaboard: 75%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Ocean One Liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Ocean One Liveaboard are ([Diving:10/10] + [Cabin:5/10] + [Boat:8/10] + [Dining:7/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:7/10] = 37/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Ocean One Liveaboard is calculated as 37/60 = 75% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £175.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 15·Bathrooms: 13·Guests: 26

Length: 37 m·Beam: 12 m

Dive certification:Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 10 logged dives

Horizon 3 Liveaboard

Maldives

Liveaboard Rated: 8.5/10

SDE Rating: 76%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Horizon 3 Liveaboard: 76%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Horizon 3 Liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Horizon 3 Liveaboard are ([Diving:10/10] + [Cabin:4/10] + [Boat:8/10] + [Dining:10/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:7/10] = 39/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Horizon 3 Liveaboard is calculated as 39/60 = 76% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £145.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 12·Bathrooms: 12·Guests: 25

Length: 36 m·Beam: 9.5 m

Dive certification:Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 40 logged dives

Felicity Liveaboard

Maldives

Liveaboard Rated: 8.9/10

SDE Rating: 70%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Felicity Liveaboard: 70%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Felicity Liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Felicity Liveaboard are ([Diving:7/10] + [Cabin:5/10] + [Boat:9/10] + [Dining:8/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:5/10] = 34/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Felicity Liveaboard is calculated as 34/60 = 70% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £162.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 13·Bathrooms: 13·Guests: 26

Length: 41 m·Beam: 10.31 m

Dive certification:Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 10 logged dives

EcoPro Seascape

Maldives

Liveaboard Rated: 9.2/10

SDE Rating: 85%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the EcoPro Seascape Liveaboard: 85%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the EcoPro Seascape liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the EcoPro Seascape liveaboard are ([Diving:10/10] + [Cabin:6/10] + [Boat:8/10] + [Dining:10/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:8/10] = 42/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the EcoPro Seascape liveaboard is calculated as 42/60 = 85% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £134.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 14·Bathrooms: 14·Guests: 28

Length: 41 m·Beam: 10.7 m

Dive certification:Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 30 logged dives

EcoPro Mariana Liveaboard

Maldives

Liveaboard Rated: 8.5/10

SDE Rating: 68%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the EcoPro Mariana Liveaboard: 68%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the EcoPro Mariana Liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the EcoPro Mariana Liveaboard are ([Diving:8/10] + [Cabin:6/10] + [Boat:8/10] + [Dining:8/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:4/10] = 34/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the EcoPro Mariana Liveaboard is calculated as 34/60 = 68% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £168.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 9·Bathrooms: 10·Guests: 16

Length: 30 m·Beam: 8 m

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 50 logged dives

Duke of York Liveaboard

Maldives

Liveaboard Rated: 8.4/10

SDE Rating: 81%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Duke of York Liveaboard: 81%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Duke of York Liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Duke of York Liveaboard are ([Diving:10/10] + [Cabin:6/10] + [Boat:8/10] + [Dining:10/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:6/10] = 40/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Duke of York Liveaboard is calculated as 40/60 = 81% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £185.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 11·Bathrooms: 11·Guests: 23

Length: 36 m·Beam: 11 m

Dive certification:Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 30 logged dives

Conte Max Liveaboard

Maldives

Liveaboard Rated: 9.2/10

SDE Rating: 80%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Conte Max Liveaboard: 80%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Conte Max Liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Conte Max Liveaboard are ([Diving:10/10] + [Cabin:6/10] + [Boat:8/10] + [Dining:10/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:5/10] = 39/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Conte Max Liveaboard is calculated as 39/60 = 80% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £162.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 9·Bathrooms: 8·Guests: 20

Length: 33 m·Beam: 10 m

Dive certification:Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 30 logged dives

Carpe Vita

Maldives

Liveaboard Rated: 9.1/10

SDE Rating: 68%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Carpe Vita Liveaboard: 68%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Carpe Vita liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Carpe Vita liveaboard are ([Diving:8/10] + [Cabin:5/10] + [Boat:7/10] + [Dining:8/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:4/10] = 32/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Carpe Vita liveaboard is calculated as 32/60 = 68% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £189.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 10·Bathrooms: 13·Guests: 20

Length: 127 ft·Beam: 34 ft

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 35 logged dives

Carpe Novo

Maldives

Liveaboard Rated: 9.1/10

SDE Rating: 65%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Carpe Novo Liveaboard: 65%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Carpe Novo liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Carpe Novo liveaboard are ([Diving:8/10] + [Cabin:4/10] + [Boat:7/10] + [Dining:9/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:4/10] = 32/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Carpe Novo liveaboard is calculated as 32/60 = 65% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £208.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 12·Bathrooms: 15·Guests: 22

Length: 43 m·Beam: 11 m

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 50 logged dives

Carpe Diem Liveaboard

Maldives

Liveaboard Rated: 9.0/10

SDE Rating: 63%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Carpe Diem Liveaboard: 63%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Carpe Diem Liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Carpe Diem Liveaboard are ([Diving:9/10] + [Cabin:5/10] + [Boat:6/10] + [Dining:7/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:3/10] = 30/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Carpe Diem Liveaboard is calculated as 30/60 = 63% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £177.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 10·Bathrooms: 13·Guests: 20

Length: 35 m·Beam: 10 m

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 80 logged dives

Blue Liveaboard

Maldives

Liveaboard Rated: 9.8/10

SDE Rating: 73%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Blue Liveaboard: 73%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Blue Liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Blue Liveaboard are ([Diving:8/10] + [Cabin:6/10] + [Boat:9/10] + [Dining:9/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:3/10] = 35/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Blue Liveaboard is calculated as 35/60 = 73% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £188.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 11·Bathrooms: 11·Guests: 20

Length: 135 ft·Beam: 45 ft

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 50 logged dives

Blue Force One

Maldives

Liveaboard Rated: 9.4/10

SDE Rating: 61%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Blue Force One Liveaboard: 61%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Blue Force One liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Blue Force One liveaboard are ([Diving:5/10] + [Cabin:6/10] + [Boat:5/10] + [Dining:8/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:4/10] = 28/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Blue Force One liveaboard is calculated as 28/60 = 61% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £175.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 12·Bathrooms: 12·Guests: 24

Length: 42 m·Beam: 11 m

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 50 logged dives

Black Manta Liveaboard

Maldives

Liveaboard Rated: 9.5/10

SDE Rating: 86%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Black Manta Liveaboard: 86%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Black Manta Liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Black Manta Liveaboard are ([Diving:9/10] + [Cabin:6/10] + [Boat:9/10] + [Dining:10/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:9/10] = 43/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Black Manta Liveaboard is calculated as 43/60 = 86% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £154.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 16·Bathrooms: 16·Guests: 32

Length: 42 m·Beam: 9 m

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 30 logged dives

Ariyal Liveaboard

Maldives

Liveaboard Rated: 9.0/10

SDE Rating: 70%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Ariyal Liveaboard: 70%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Ariyal Liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Ariyal Liveaboard are ([Diving:7/10] + [Cabin:5/10] + [Boat:8/10] + [Dining:8/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:7/10] = 35/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Ariyal Liveaboard is calculated as 35/60 = 70% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £163.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 13·Bathrooms: 13·Guests: 26

Length: 45 m·Beam: 10 m

Dive certification:Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 3-5 logged dives

Amba Liveaboard

Maldives

Liveaboard Rated: 8.9/10

SDE Rating: 73%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Amba Liveaboard: 73%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Amba Liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Amba Liveaboard are ([Diving:10/10] + [Cabin:7/10] + [Boat:8/10] + [Dining:7/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:4/10] = 36/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Amba Liveaboard is calculated as 36/60 = 73% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £122.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 11·Bathrooms: 11·Guests: 22

Length: 32 m·Beam: 10 m

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 30 logged dives

Maldives Legend X

Maldives

Liveaboard Rated: Not rated yet

SDE Rating: 93%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Maldives Legend X Liveaboard: 93%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Maldives Legend X liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Maldives Legend X liveaboard are ([Diving:9/10] + [Cabin:9/10] + [Boat:9/10] + [Dining:10/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:9/10] = 46/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Maldives Legend X liveaboard is calculated as 46/60 = 93% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £263.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 13·Bathrooms: 13·Guests: 26

Length: 41 m·Beam: 10.8 m

Dive certification:Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 50 logged dives

Hanifaru Bay Common Sightings

Hanifaru Bay Diver Details

Suggested equipment
Rash guard

Entry
Boat

Maldives; Hanifaru Bay Dive Site Details

Water type
Salt

Water temperature
27.0°C–30.0°C

Best time to dive Hanifaru Bay
May to November, with manta aggregations most likely during the southwest monsoon when plankton concentrates in the bay.

Location
5.1906, 73.1312

Maldives’ Hanifaru Bay dive site map and location

The latitude and longitude for Maldives’ Hanifaru Bay dive site are: 5.1906, 73.1312

Open in Google Maps

Hanifaru Bay Liveaboard Itinerary Stop

Hanifaru Bay is a protected, funnel-shaped bay in Baa Atoll where tides and monsoon conditions can concentrate plankton into a relatively small area. When the conditions align, reef manta rays gather to feed and may be joined by whale sharks, creating one of the Maldives’ best-known marine wildlife spectacles.

This is not a scuba-diving site. Scuba diving is prohibited within Hanifaru Bay and liveaboard guests visit for a controlled snorkelling experience. Access is managed to reduce disturbance, and the exact timing of an excursion depends on permits, local rules, weather and whether mantas are present. An itinerary mentioning Hanifaru Bay therefore cannot guarantee a particular number of animals or even entry on every departure.

Visitors should listen carefully to the briefing and maintain the required distance from the animals. Chasing, touching or blocking a manta’s path is inappropriate, while flash photography and powered underwater scooters are prohibited. Remaining calm at the surface gives the mantas space to continue feeding and usually creates a far better encounter.

A liveaboard is an excellent way to include Hanifaru Bay within a wider Baa Atoll itinerary. The crew can monitor local reports and coordinate with licensed guides while guests continue diving at permitted sites elsewhere in the atoll. This combines the snorkelling encounter with reef, thila and channel diving without presenting Hanifaru itself as a dive.

UNESCO describes Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve as an overwhelmingly marine reserve of reefs, faros and patch reefs. Visit Maldives also identifies Hanifaru Bay as primarily a managed snorkelling experience. Compare Maldives liveaboards offering seasonal Baa Atoll itineraries.

The ""Hanifaru Bay" visitor stop in the Maldives is included on itineraries operated by 18 liveaboards. The highest customer-rated liveaboard scores 9.8 out of 10. Prices across these liveaboards start from £122.00.

If you want a more intimate experience, the smallest liveaboard whose itinerary includes "Hanifaru Bay" is EcoPro Mariana Liveaboard, which has 9 cabins, accommodates up to 16 guests, and is 30 m in length. If you prefer a larger boat, Black Manta Liveaboard, which is 42 m in length, has 16 cabins, and accommodates up to 32 guests.