Hanifaru Thila

It is an elongated reef of about 180 m with two pinnacles, on the west and east sides, and overhangs and contours shaped by the currents. The coral-covered reef has schools of reef fish and plenty of macro life, with eagle rays, stingrays and tuna passing by. In neighboring Hanifaru Bay, from May to December, during the southwest monsoon (Hulhangu), large aggregations of feeding reef manta rays frequently occur. In that neighboring protected area, more than 1,800 manta rays have been identified by photo, and up to 247 individuals have been recorded in a single cyclone feeding event.