At Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, manta sightings are planned with the precision of a calendar invite. Based in the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, home to the world’s largest known manta population, the resort’s resident Manta Trust team has announced its Manta “Hot Dates” for 2026 and 2027—windows when sightings and large aggregations are statistically most likely.
Backed by two decades of scientific data, these dates are identified through analysis of manta movement patterns, plankton levels, tides, and environmental conditions. The result: a shortlist of prime periods when the ocean’s most graceful giants tend to show up on schedule.
For guests, this translates into the resort’s popular Manta on Call experience. When mantas are spotted, guests are alerted immediately and taken by speedboat for a guided snorkeling encounter. The experience is led by the Manta Trust team, internationally recognised for their research and featured on CNN’s Call to Earth, combining wildlife interaction with real-time marine education.
The strength of Landaa Giraavaru’s manta season is backed by numbers. In 2025 alone, the team recorded:
- 4,265 reef manta ray sightings
- 28 whale sharks
- 16 devil rays
- 10 oceanic mantas
- 1,282 manta surveys conducted over 143 research days
The year also marked a major conservation milestone. All ten species of manta and devil rays have now been uplisted to CITES Appendix I, granting them the highest level of international protection and banning commercial trade.
Education and community engagement remain central to the program. During the 2025 season:
- Six interns and apprentices trained in field research and guest education
- 969 community members were engaged
- 19 students graduated from Moodhu Madharusa (Ocean School)
Since 2005, the Maldives Manta Conservation Program at Landaa Giraavaru has positioned the resort as both a luxury destination and a working marine research hub, where tourism and conservation operate side by side.
Manta “Hot Dates” for 2026
- May 14–18
- May 29 – June 2
- June 13–17
- June 27 – July 1
- July 12–16
- July 27–31
- August 10–14
- August 26–30
- September 9–13
- September 24–28
- October 8–12
- October 24–28
- November 7–11
- November 24
Manta “Hot Dates” for 2027
- May 4–8
- May 18–22
- June 2–6
- June 16–20
- July 2–6
- July 16–20
- July 31 – August 4
- August 15–19
- September 28 – October 2
- October 13–17
- October 27–31
- November 12–16
- November 26–30
Note: Manta sightings are dependent on weather conditions and animal behaviour. Encounters are natural and cannot be guaranteed.
Where most travel calendars mark festivals and holidays, Landaa Giraavaru marks manta season—and for ocean enthusiasts, these are the dates that truly matter.
Reservations: +960 66 00 888
