After a National Geographic article made Hanifaru Bay world-famous, hordes of visitors endangered the very animals they came to see. Here’s how the bay bounced back.
![Breathing Life Into “Manta Bay”](https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/1021/358014/5d23b224d89bc/Breathing-life-into-Manta-Bay.jpg)
To swim side by side with a graceful manta ray is a dream for most divers. For many, it remains a dream. A few of us are lucky enough to have dived at a manta cleaning station, and experienced half a dozen mantas queuing up for the cleaner-fish spa.
But in terms of manta encounters, one magical site stands above all the rest. Little comes close to the sheer spectacle of a manta cyclone whirling into a feeding frenzy in Hanifaru Bay, in the Maldives.
It’s a gem in the biological crown of Baa Atoll. When the tides and currents are just right, the unique shape of the bay traps and concentrates planktonic food. That, in turn, attracts up to 200 reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi) and occasionally whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) to gorge on the seasonally abundant plankton.
Tourists can visit Hanifaru Bay with a certified guide, at most 10 guests per guide, to swim with the enormous manta rays for a set 45-minute period. Strict rules alternate the use of the bay between resorts and local guesthouses, to keep the number of tourists down.
At most, five boats are allowed to moor up on the side of the bay, and guests must swim to the feeding site, with no more than 80 visitors in the water at once. These enforcements enable tourists to safely experience incredible manta encounters, while also ensuring that the manta rays and whale sharks are not disturbed. The whole system ensures that this important habitat is protected.
But it wasn’t always this way. The bay was known in diving circles and with the local resorts, but was low-profile. That changed in 2008, when the National Geographic photographer Thomas Peschak first came to document the events in the bay. It was clear he would blow the bay’s cover.
Denne historien er fra Action Diver 2019 - 2020-utgaven av Action Asia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Action Diver 2019 - 2020-utgaven av Action Asia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
![Policing Paradise](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1021/369740/5d723cd4d27b9/crp_Policing-paradise.jpg)
Policing Paradise
Palau’s President Tommy E. Remengesau Jr has established his country in the vanguard of global efforts on ocean conservation, in particular with the 2015 designation of much of its territorial waters as a marine reserve and no-take zone. Policing this vast area though remains immensely challenging.
![The Not-So-Silent World](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1021/369740/5d723b2b3103e/crp_The-Not-So-Silent-World.jpg)
The Not-So-Silent World
Human activities may be emitting levels of noise that harm marine life.
![Once Were Warriors](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1021/369740/5d724a79d90c7/crp_Once-Were-Warriors.jpg)
Once Were Warriors
A visit to the 2018 World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan is a surreal trip to a time and place where martial skills matter.
![The Secret Life Of Pangolins](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1021/369740/5d723e0241c38/crp_The-Secret-Life-Of-Pangolins.jpg)
The Secret Life Of Pangolins
PALAWAN – IT’S 1AM AND MOST PEOPLE are safely in their beds. Instead I’m deep in the jungles of Palawan with an international team of researchers and a squad of Philippine Marines, searching for pangolins, the most illegally trafficked mammals on Earth.
![Feast Your Senses](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1021/369740/5d724d03c5904/crp_Feast-Your-Senses.jpg)
Feast Your Senses
The Alta Via 1 is the classic Dolomite trail, bringing the peaks within arm’s reach as you hike between homely refugios and historic war-time fortifications.
![China's Olympians Show The Way](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1021/369740/5d725213cb36e/crp_Chinas-Olympians-Show-The-Way.jpg)
China's Olympians Show The Way
WITH 40 RIDERS FROM 12 COUNTRIES, THE KTA made its second visit to the Desaru Coast in Malaysia with its Asia Pacific Hydrofoil Tour Series , which welcomes amateur and professional riders a like . Chinese Youth Olympians Haoran Zhang and Jingle Chen took first places in the Men’s and Women’s classes, while Korean veteran Soon Ho Kwon was crowned champion in the Masters.
![China's Masses Warming To Snow](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1021/369740/5d723a5317bd6/crp_Chinas-Masses-Warming-To-Snow.jpg)
China's Masses Warming To Snow
TWO YEARS AGO, CHINA opened the world’s largest indoor ski slope with two black runs, a blue run, snow play area and beginner slopes all served by chairlifts and magic carpets. Interestingly, it choose to build this behemoth in Harbin, where real snow piles high every winter and temperatures plunge low enough to host the annual International Ice and Snow Festival.
![A Quieter, Cleaner Everest In Store?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1021/369740/5d723baeca60a/crp_A-Quieter-Cleaner-Everest-In-Store.jpg)
A Quieter, Cleaner Everest In Store?
FOLLOWING RECORD deaths during the Everest climbing season earlier this year, Nepal’s government and the climbing community are suggesting a new list of preconditions for any summit attempt.
![A Life List Of Adventure](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1021/369740/5d7243138a078/crp_A-Life-List-Of-Adventure.jpg)
A Life List Of Adventure
There’s a first time for everything. But some firsts matter more: experiences that are life-altering, that change perspective, build confidence and teach you about all you can do and all you can be.
![Virtual Reality As A Travel Sales Tool](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1021/276077/5ae2f67ee8576/crp_1524823593_loc.jpg)
Virtual Reality As A Travel Sales Tool
Virtual Reality As A Travel Sales Tool