Dharavandhoo Corner

Dharavandhoo Corner is one of our favourite manta encounters in Baa Atoll. Located on the northeastern corner of Dharavandhoo Island, this reef not far from Hanifaru Bay and has earned its reputation as possibly the most popular place to dive with mantas in the entire atoll. Since diving is prohibited inside Hanifaru Bay to protect wildlife, Dharavandhoo Corner offers the next best thing – scuba diving with mantas as they are feeding or cleaning.

The Dive

The top reef can be as shallow as 3 meters, making this an accessible dive for Open Water certified divers. We start at the northeastern corner where the reef faces the open sea, giving us the chance to spot pelagics cruising by. Schooling fish gather near the corner, and the site features two manta cleaning stations one of which sits around 8 meters depth. The shallow coral flats make for relaxed diving while we wait for the mantas to arrive.

Manta Encounters

What we love about Dharavandhoo Corner is watching mantas display their full range of behaviours. At the cleaning stations, we often see them hovering patiently while cleaner wrasse get to work. But when feeding conditions are right, they put on quite a show often chain feeding near the surface with mouths wide open, barrel rolling through the water in acrobatic somersaults, or forming cyclone feeding patterns where multiple mantas spiral together creating a vortex. This site is also a focal point for manta socialisation and courtship, so we occasionally witness males pursuing females around the cleaning stations. Whalesharks have been spotted here too, though they are less predictable.

When to Visit

The southwest monsoon season from May to November brings the best manta activity to Dharavandhoo Corner, coinciding with the famous manta aggregations at nearby Hanifaru Bay. September tends to be particularly favourable. That said, this site is always good for a surprise where the kind of encounters we have here do not happen every day, but when they do, they are unforgettable.