Bucket List Swimming Experience with Manta Rays
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Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, located in Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, offers guests the chance to get up-close-and-personal with reef manta rays at the world’s largest natural manta feeding region in Hanifaru Bay in Baa Atoll from June to November.
Guests have the rare opportunity to snorkel or free dive with these gentle giants at the protected site of Hanifaru Bay, which attracts hundreds of mantas.
With a wing span of up to 4 metres, the reef manta rays congregate at Hanifaru Bay during the southwest monsoon season and, with optimum wind and tide conditions, enter a shallow cul-de-sac in the reef to feed on microscopic plankton.
Hanifaru Bay is only a 45-minute boat ride from the resort. Scuba equipment is not permitted however, snorkellers are treated to memorable displays as mantas glide and barrel roll in formation through dense clouds of plankton.
Mantas often swim within centimetres of snorkellers; drawing near and incredibly, managing to avoid contact at the last second. On any given day, guests can see anywhere from a couple of mantas to more than forty depending on plankton levels.
From June to November there is an upsurge current bringing an abundance of plankton deposits to the shallows of Hanifaru Bay which in turn attracts plankton eating marauders such as manta rays.
Swimming alongside whale sharks is another amazing bucket-list experience that guests of Anantara Kihavah may be lucky enough to experience. Whale sharks also favour the Baa Atoll archipelago during Manta season, but they are rarely sighted.
For more information on Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas please visit
www.kihavah-maldives.anantara.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anantarakihavahmaldives
Instagram: @anantarakihavah
Anantara is a luxury hospitality brand for modern travellers, connecting them to genuine places, people and stories through personal experiences, and providing heartfelt hospitality in the world’s most exciting destinations. The collection of distinct, thoughtfully designed luxury hotels and resorts provides a window through which to journey into invigorating new territory, curating personal travel experiences.
From cosmopolitan cities to desert sands to lush islands, Anantara connects travellers to the indigenous, grounds them in authentic luxury, and hosts them with passionate expertise. The portfolio currently boasts over 35 stunning hotel and properties located in Thailand, the Maldives, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Zambia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Portugal, with a pipeline of future properties across Asia, the Indian Ocean, Middle East, Africa and South America. The brand’s premier vacation ownership programme, Anantara Vacation Club, extends the opportunity to own a share in the Anantara experience with a portfolio of 8 luxurious Club Resorts as well as travel privileges at partner resorts and hotels worldwide.
For more information on Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, please visit www.anantara.com. Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/anantara; Twitter and Instagram: @anantara_hotels
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