Manta Magic: A Maldives Journey Two Years in the Making
2 years without the thrill of a Dive Travel Adventure. 2 years without the mantra — “Eat, Sleep, Dive, Repeat.” A designated dive trip was long overdue, and with the recent opportunity of me working as a Dive Travel Manager with The Scuba Place (get in touch for any dive trips), the perfect opportunity reared its beautiful head in the form of a last-minute Maldives liveaboard. It made complete sense to dive back in somewhere familiar and stop on something familiar. I was back onboard Sachika, staying and diving with the amazing Top Class Cruising team. This was my fourth time on Sachika since 2014, and I feel like I’m returning home. The boat remains very much how it always has been, in great condition and holding an amazing charm. Its familiar feeling put me at ease after a long break from dive trips. The crew may have changed quite a lot from my previous trips, but still kept up their high standards and were great support throughout the trip. Mox was a great cruise director for the week and really had everything running smoothly. The only unfamiliar feeling I had — I actually had a new dive guide for the first time compared to the previous trips. However, my dive guide Hassan was fantastic, and I was immediately comfortable diving with him. He had a great eye for finding marine life, even in some of the worst vis. A knack for putting us in the right place at the right time. The trip was complete with the amazing guests we had onboard. A special mention for the gang at Planet Scuba School who joined us, and hopefully this is the first of many trips. While a familiar face from my previous trip 4 years ago — Martin — joined us once more for an epic trip.
I’ve been debating about how to tell my story of this trip, but ultimately, it was the mantas that stole the show. I’ll be splitting the blog into 2 articles and first tell the story of Manta Magic. It’s no great secret if you have followed my journey over the years and even read my previous Maldives articles. I’ve always been lucky diving with manta rays in the Maldives; each trip has just got better and better for interactions, with this trip the cream of the crop. Once again starting our journey with a check dive at the famous Lankan/Paradise Manta Point dive site — the scene of one of my greatest ever dives 4 years previously, but one that still fills me with sadness as an underwater photographer, losing the photos from that dive. Therefore, I had big hopes for this dive once again, and it started almost immediately after entering the water. We were slowly descending and checking all gear etc. when a majestic manta first made an appearance, slowly gliding past.
The site is a highway of manta cleaning stations, and as you slowly drift along, it isn’t long before you’re bumping into them. With the next interaction just moments later, as one seemingly left a group of divers from another boat and made a beeline straight for us, gliding directly above my head and getting the first photos of mantas of the trip. The endorphin hit my body craves and the reason I keep diving beneath the surface. Now, you know how I said Hassan had a knack for putting us in the right place at the right time. We could have easily followed said manta back in the direction we came from, but that’s where the crowds were, as other boats were underwater too. Hassan led us on our journey a little further and at around 20 metres we were greeted by a manta circling a cleaning station and making multiple close passes — a perfect situation for our little group of 5 divers. It was soon joined by another and then 2 more for good measure. The joy racing through my veins and I just never wanted it to end.
Thankfully, as we shallowed up nearing the end of our dive, we met 2 more circling a cleaning station at around 10 metres. Again, it just seemed like they were there for our little group of 5, and I also had moments where I just felt like it was me and the mantas. Such an incredible feeling to watch them gracefully circle the cleaning station seemingly in slow motion. I felt like time just stopped and I was frozen in a feeling of content, in awe at these majestic creatures. What a start!! At a site that delivers the goods for me every time.
Day 2, and it wasn’t long before we saw a manta again at Rasdhoo Beyru. It wasn’t really part of the plan, but it came to say hello as we were looking to hang out watching grey reef sharks. It didn’t stay for long, though, but always a pleasure and the warm-up to one of my greatest moments in the water. A change of plan from diving the cleaning station at Beyru Madivaru was eventually rewarded highly. A quick surface check at the cleaning station showed no mantas and with a lot of boats already in the bay. It was likely that’s where the mantas were hanging out, feeding on the dense plankton blooms. The dive was a bit of a miss to be honest — terrible visibility and just the occasional pass by the odd manta ray didn’t really hit the mark. But thankfully I never give up; something inside knew there was more to come.
As we surfaced from the dive and with the Dhoni close by, the crew/guests onboard pointed over at some mantas breaking the surface. It was a little way over (a long swim), but the plan was to surface and get back in and snorkel. However, I was at the back of the group and couldn’t help continually looking behind me and under the surface. Then I spotted it — a flash of white close to the surface. I couldn’t be 100% sure at first due to distance, but I was soon shouting with excitement — “Here!!! They’re over here. This way!!!” I made a beeline straight for the flash of white, and as I inched closer, they soon came into view and any doubts I had were gone in a flash. I was suddenly surrounded by a number of manta rays. My heart pounding as the adrenaline pumped through my veins. I was in manta feeding heaven. Barrel-rolling and manta feeding trains from all directions, cutting through the water with grace and purpose. Seemingly oblivious to the awkward human audience they’d conjured up. With plenty of air left in the tank, there was no need for a snorkel and I didn’t want to miss a moment. I kept thinking, surely this amazing spectacle must end soon, but the moment it seemed they moved away, they were soon back with their underwater acrobatics, at times cutting through a school of fusiliers, creating a dreamlike image. It was one of the best 30 minutes of my life — I really struggled to leave and get back on the boat. Probably the best ending to a dive I’ve ever had!!
We were only 5 dives into the trip!! Had we used all our luck already?? Or was there more to come?? Thankfully the latter, and the familiar dance of the mantas under the night sky in Fesdhoo Lagoon just the following night. As I say, I’ve done this trip 3 times previously and always managed to get at least one manta ray at the back of the boat (2 is the max at any one time). Although on previous occasions it’s always been quite late when they’ve turned up (too late for dive cut-off time). My persistence has meant I’ve managed to get in the water with them and snorkel every time though. Only last year were we offered the chance to dive, even though it was 11.30 at night. I was already in the water snorkelling though and happy where I was. This year, I was hopeful they’d come early and I’d finally get a chance to dive.
The bell rang for the dive briefing around 6pm. Mox explained the process should the mantas turn up in good time and gave us the dive cut-off time of 7.30pm. Well, no need to worry this time around, and before the dive briefing was over, Simone came in with news that there were already 2 manta rays enjoying the banquet of plankton at the back of the boat. It didn’t take long for us all to get kitted up, my body shaking with excitement. Then once Mox had placed the torches underwater, we were able to dive in. I was first in the water and as I headed towards the end of the line of lights, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Manta after manta appearing out of the dark and into the light. I was once again in manta feeding heaven. My position at the end of the line perfect for their direct line through the lights and a game of chicken before they arched away from me within inches of my dome port. Numerous times I looked deep into the gullet of their gaping mouths, filtering that precious plankton over their gill rakers. Am I dreaming?? Or am I living my dream?? With somewhere between 5–10 mantas making an appearance, this dive was truly, truly special and easily one of my most memorable ever.
This happened to be the last of our manta moments for the trip, but the feeling will last a lifetime. While we still had 3 full days of diving, there was plenty more fun to be had without more mantas. Still many encounters with some special subjects underwater, and you can read all about the Best of the Rest in my next article. So be sure to keep following. What a special trip, where the mantas certainly stole my heart for this week in the Maldives. A trip we at The Scuba Place tend to run every year, and most years at least twice a year. So why not join us next time? Be sure to email me:
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