North Route 10 Nights Manta Trust

North Route 10 Nights Manta Trust

JOIN US FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE CRUISE WITH MANTA TRUST AND DISCOVER MORE ABOUT THESE MAJESTICS CREATURES!
10 nights itinerary, going through North Male, Baa, Raa, Shaviyani, Noonu, Lhaviyani
Route is submitted to weather conditions and can be modified.
Best period: August to November


Itinerary

  • Day 1 Hulhumalé

    Hulhumalé Dune staff will pick you up at Male International Airport and bring you to the main boat. Enjoy a drink while listening to our Cruise Director welcome briefing. Dinner will be served in the evening and you will spend the first night at Hulhumale marina.
    The member of Manta Trust will also give you a first birefing regarding Mantas and the planning of the trip.

  • Days 2 to 3 North Malé Atoll > Baa Atoll

    North Malé Atoll > Baa Atoll The trip will start discovering the dazzling long reefs or a manta point (May to Nov only) in North Male Atoll. At only 15 m depth, you can have a chance to start the trip watching mantas looping on their cleaning stations. Corals are also abundant here, giving home to plenty of reef fish and macro species.

    Baa Atoll was declared a a UNESCO World Biosphere back in June 2011. Its amazing reefs of Baa offer a wide variety of marine life ranging from small fishes and turtles to the giant filter feeders, mantas and whale sharks. Walls and thilas full of hard and soft corals, plateaus, overhangs, pinnacles and swim throughs are all yours to explore.

    The famous Hanifaru Bay, located on the eastern side of Baa Atoll, is one of the marine protected areas. From August to November, both whale sharks and manta rays aggregate here to devour the zooplankton blooms brought by the southwest monsoon. By regulation, only snorkeling is allowed here, but there are many fascinating dive sites for your delight just nearby.

  • Day 4 Raa Atoll

    Raa Atoll The cruise will move up to the Raa Atoll. More thilas and giri will be the place to be to discover an exceptional variety of parrotfish, unicorn fish, gobies, basslets, and fusiliers along with jacks, tunas, stingrays, and napoleon wrasses.

    Cruising north to explore the relatively unknown and vibrant reefs. Here you will encounter more pelagic fish such as eagle rays, marble rays, grey reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, silvertip sharks, and even guitar sharks.

  • Day 5 Shaviyany atoll

    Shaviyany atoll Back from the far North, you will dive in the beautiful Shaviyani Atoll . Take a closer look at the dazzling reefs and encounter guitar sharks, eagle rays, and school of batfish. When night falls, you will be invited to go ashore and indulge yourself in the barbecue dinner prepared by our crew on a nearby desert island.

    Flourishing soft corals and anemone gardens are famous here. The water is filled with nutrients and allows the presence and growth of rich marine life which in turn attracts its predators as well. Black tip reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, leopard sharks,and guitar sharks can be found feeding on smaller fish.

  • Day 6 Noonu atoll

    Noonu atoll You will dive in Christmas Tree Rock and take a chance to observe 20 or more sharks circling around and waiting to be cleaned. The pinnacle resembles a Christmas tree with layers of ledges and plateaus covered in soft, pink corals.

  • Days 7 to 8 Lhaviyany

    Lhaviyany Here you will not only find wall dives, but also current swept channels full of sharks, including grey reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, and black tip reef sharks. Keep looking in the blue and you will often see tunas, barracudas as well as eagle rays.

    Going back in time to the 80's, you will dive on two ships. One of them dramatically protrudes through the surface. Both wrecks are covered in hard and soft corals and full of fish life. Exploring Maldives is also setting foot in paradise. Our crew will lead a visit to a nearby local island just before dinner.

  • Days 9 to 10 North Male

    North Male In North Male Atoll you will find stunning long reefs, small caves, colourful corals with prolific marine and reef life once again. Take a closer look at the squirrelfish, bannerfish, oriental sweetlips, frogfish, and nudibranchs. In the afternoon you will come back to Hulhumale marina to spend your last night on board and debrief about our fabulous encounters with Mantas.

  • Day 11 Hulhumalé

    Hulhumalé The trip is arriving at the end. Our crew will arrange the transfer to the airport according to your flight schedule once you have had your breakfast on board. We are also glad to help you plan for the day and booking for accommodations.
    Time to come back home with fantastic memories!

Hanifaru bay is the biggest manta feeding hotspot in the world. However, the underwater bay is actually quite small. While the uninhibited island Hanifaru, like many other islands in the Maldives, is just a tiny sand patch.

The grandness comes from the number of reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi) that show up just in time for plankton happy hour and have a lavish feast together with some fellow filter-feeding whale sharks.

The site is a protected marine park and the whole Baa Atoll, where Hanifaru bay lies, has been declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve. This remote atoll is known for having some of the richest coral reef systems in the world.

Why are hundreds of mantas from all over the Maldives attracted to Hanifaru Bay?

The answer lies in a very unique combination of factors. The rare shape of the bay and its geographical position are the first things that play a key role. Hanifaru bay is a long and narrow (channel-like) bay with a dead-end. It serves as a scoop for all the plankton being carried up from the deep sea. The second factor is the southwest monsoon current in the Indian Ocean. It pushes nutrient-rich water into the western opening of the bay. The third and crucial factor is the lunar tide, which pushes against the oceanic current.

You will be guided by our professionnal divers and by a member of Manta Trust, a worlwide organisation raising awareness and providing education on manta ray conservation through eco-minded thematic trips.

The itinerary given in this document is an example, and the itinerary might be adapted to increase the chances of unforgettable manta's encounters and/or weather conditions.

Dates & prices

Departures for French-speaking groups:

From To Price / pers. Boat Places Options Booking
€2,965 Theia 20 / 20 Book now!

Departures for English-speaking groups:

From To Price / pers. Boat Places Options Booking
€2,965 Theia 18 / 20 Book now!

Departures for Chinese-speaking groups:

No departure for now

Trip code: 158

Included

  • Transfers from the airport to the boat and to and from the marina.
  • Member of Manta Trust on board
  • Double/twin shared cabin accommodation.
  • 2 to 4 on-board guides (dive master and instructors) 12 liter aluminum cylinders+ DIN/Int, and diving weights.
  • 8 to 10 professional and experienced crew members on­board
  • Meals and all soft drinks on board (excluding beer, spirits, wine, espresso coffee)
  • 15 dives minimum, extras one according to weather conditions and flights schedule
  • Bath towels are changed at least once during the trip, depending on the duration of the cruise.
  • The selected sea route will take into consideration the passengers' wishes.
  • Dune reserves the right to limit dives frequency due to : weather conditions, dive level and physical conditions of passengers, and no refund would be applied.
  • Nitrox - package and fillings. Nitrox is a service offered by Dune and no refund will be applied in case of malfunctioning of the compressor
  • Wifi : subject to network availibility - some areas might not be covered
  • Maldivian Government Tourist Tax

Not included

  • International or domestic flights
  • The supplement for a superior or sea view cabin.
  • The supplement for a single cabin.
  • Drinks such as beer, wine, etc
  • Transfers by speed boat, airplane or seaplane depending on special routes or unscheduled arrivals and departures.
  • Diving courses, rental equipment
  • Service charge $120 for the crew, to be given at the end of the stay before leaving by cash.
  • Fuel surcherge

Notes

*Surcharges: Dune Theia Liveaboard reserves the right to apply an appropriate surcharge to its prices should economic changes (such as exchange rates, fuel prices, etc) make a material difference to its pricing structure. - A minimum of 14 days' notice will be given before such a surcharge becomes effective. - No surcharge will be applied within 28 days of departure. - If the surcharge results in an increase of 10% or more to the price of the liveaboard, dive package/dive course, then cancellation with a full refund will be allowed. Notification of the intention to cancel must be made in writing within 14 days of the notification or the surcharge.

Practical info

Food

On board, both local cuisine and international menus will be served.

Accommodation

Accommodation is based on double shared cabin . Beds in some cabins can be moved to form a double bed or 2 single beds. A supplement is charged for single use of a cabin. Cabins categories (standard, superior or seaview) are subject to different tarification if pre-booked.

Transportation

Passengers are greeted at the airport by a DUNE Maldives representative, holding a "DUNE" sign and wearing an orange T-Shirt. The meeting point will generally be just outside the arrival hall after the baggage claim and customs clearance area.

For cruises arriving and departing from Male, passengers are transferred to the boat via the diving Dhoni leaving from the marina of Male International Airport (duration: approximately 20 minutes).

The first transfer including in the service is at 3pm from Male airport. The return transfer from the last day will be organized right after the breakfast.

Contact us for early check-in/late departures
Book this trip
Destination
Northern Cruises
Activity
BEST-OF From August to November Full sharks Liveaboard Manta Rays
Duration
11 days
Group
16 to 28 people
Code
158
Price
From €3,065
Level
4/5
Comfort
5/5
Language(s)
French / English / Chinese

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