North Malé Atoll · Maldives · Reef
Bodu Hithi Manta Point
Mantas cleaning and feeding from December to April
Area photo: Genet (Diskussion) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Bodu Hithi Manta Point is one of the best-known manta cleaning stations in North Malé Atoll — by its own catalogue's account, in the Maldives as a whole. Between December and April, during the northeast monsoon, mantas come to be cleaned or to feed on plankton over a reef running from about 14 m down to 25 m.
Also known as Boduhiti Corner.
Where it is and how deep
4.4369° N, 73.3630° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive centres on the cleaning station. Between December and April — the northeast monsoon, when the site is most active — manta rays come in to be cleaned or to feed on plankton. Average depth is 14 m with a maximum of 25 m, and wannadive logs the current low, under 1 knot, so holding a position near the station is not a fight.
Reaching the site takes approximately a 60-minute boat ride. Visibility typically runs 10 to 30 m, and at these depths in a low current the diving is not physically demanding, though wannadive still lists the site at CMAS** / AOW. The variable is timing — plan for the December-to-April window, when the mantas are on station.
Marine life and season
- Manta rays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
Season follows North Malé Atoll: December to April is dry with gentle breezes; late May to July is the weakest stretch, when most liveaboards leave the atoll.
Questions divers ask
When is the best time to dive Bodu Hithi Manta Point?+
December to April, during the northeast monsoon — that is when mantas come to the station to be cleaned or to feed on plankton.
Sources
- Bodu Hithi Manta Point — Scubago
- Boduhiti Corner (Manta Point) — wannadive.net
More dive sites in North Malé Atoll
Wreck
A cargo ship lost in 1981, coral-encrusted in 35 m
Seamount
The 'fish soup' pinnacle — two thilas packed with life
Pinnacle
Schools of red and white snappers over two channel thilas
Channel & pass
Sharks, jacks and eagle rays on the channel-mouth current
Wreck
An upright 16 m tug covered in soft and black corals
Reef
Groups of eagle rays and barracuda on the incoming current
Pinnacle
A swim-through tunnel packed with sweetlips and groupers
Pinnacle
Black-footed and Clark's clownfish in the thila's anemones
Similar dives elsewhere
One of the few places whale sharks stay all year
Manta cleaning stations at 10–15 m, with 8–9 mantas at once on a good day
Mantas at a cleaning station from December till April
Manta cleaning station on a sandy corner among coral blocks