In April 2026, a young manta ray glided over a reef in Gaakoshinbi Faru, far up in Thiladhunmathi Atoll — one of the least-dived corners of the Maldives. A diver photographed his belly. The spot pattern went into the Manta Trust’s database. He was given an ID: MV-MA-6260. And, by us, a name.
Spirit Liveaboards has officially adopted a manta ray through the Manta Trust. He is a juvenile male reef manta. His name is Spirit. And on our dedicated Manta Expedition, you can dive the waters he calls home.
Meet Spirit
Spirit is a juvenile male reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi). He was first identified on 11 April 2026 at Gaakoshinbi Faru, in Thiladhunmathi Atoll — roughly 180 miles north of Malé, in the remote Far Northern reefs the Maldives is famous for, but where few liveaboards ever venture.
He’s young. As of now, the global database holds a single confirmed sighting of him: his first. Every manta carries a fingerprint on its belly — a unique pattern of spots that never changes. Spirit’s pattern is now part of the largest manta database on Earth. The next time he’s photographed — by us, by a guest, by anyone — we’ll know it’s him.
We chose Spirit deliberately. He’s a juvenile in waters we know better than almost anyone. His story is just beginning, and so is our role in it.
Why mantas — and why the Manta Trust
Mantas are slow to mature, give birth to a single pup every two to seven years, and are easily wiped out by overfishing. Both species are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, threatened by the gill-raker trade, bycatch, boat strikes, and discarded fishing line.
The Maldives is one of their last great strongholds. More than 5,000 individual mantas have been identified in Maldivian waters — the largest documented reef manta population on Earth.
Tracking and protecting them is the work of the Manta Trust. Founded in 2011 by biologist Guy Stevens, the UK charity coordinates 29 affiliate projects in over 16 countries. It helped drive the 2013 CITES Appendix II listing that now protects every manta ray on the planet from international trade. Our adoption directly supports their research, the ID database, and education work with Maldivian communities.
The Spirit Manta Expedition
Spirit’s adoption isn’t symbolic — it’s tied to an itinerary.
The Spirit Manta Expedition is a dedicated Maldives liveaboard route built around manta encounters. Depending on the season, that means Baa Atoll’s Hanifaru Bay during the southwest monsoon (roughly June to November), when plankton blooms pull dozens of mantas into a single feeding frenzy — or the Far Northern Atolls, including Thiladhunmathi, where Spirit himself was first seen. These are the oldest atolls in the Maldives, lightly dived, and home to reef and channel sites few divers ever reach.
Onboard the Spirit of Maldives, you’ll dive:
- Cleaning stations where mantas hover for thirty minutes at a time
- Feeding aggregations with cyclone and chain-feeding behaviour
- The Maldives’ famous manta night dive
- Remote northern reefs with wide-open shark, manta and pelagic action
Every booking on the Manta Expedition contributes to the Manta Trust. You’ll get a pre-trip briefing on how to ID individual mantas, and your photos can be submitted to the Maldivian Manta Ray Project — meaning the next sighting of Spirit could come from you.
Diving with mantas — the right way
Mantas are curious, intelligent, and surprisingly tolerant of divers — which is exactly why we have to behave well around them. Touching them strips the protective mucus from their skin. Chasing them ends the encounter. Hovering above a cleaning station blocks the cleaner fish from doing their job.
The Manta Trust’s swim code is simple: stay low, approach from the side, keep your bubbles away from their bellies, and let the manta come to you. Done right, you get a longer encounter and the manta keeps returning. Done badly, the cleaning station goes quiet. Our guides brief every group before every manta dive.
Three ways to be part of Spirit’s story
- Dive with him. Join the Manta Expedition in the Maldives.
- Adopt your own manta through the Manta Trust (from £30).
- Bring your camera. Send your manta photos to the Maldivian Manta Ray Project and become part of the world’s largest manta database.
Spirit has been seen exactly once. The next sighting could be yours.
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