Kandooma Maldives marks third Manta Month with conservation focus

Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives is celebrating its third annual Manta Month this September, bringing guests, team members and the local community together for a month of manta encounters, education and marine conservation.

The timing could hardly be more relevant. New peer-reviewed research published in PLOS ONE in June 2026 has put a remarkable economic value on protecting the Maldives’ manta rays. The study estimates that manta ray tourism generated US$227.3 million in the Maldives in 2021, equivalent to 2.6% of national GDP, with direct economic benefits to businesses, communities and government estimated at more than US$311 million annually.

Over their lifetimes, the Maldives’ reef manta ray population is estimated to contribute US$8.6 billion in tourism revenue. The researchers calculated the lifetime tourism value of a single reef manta ray at approximately US$2.6 million.

“These numbers put into perspective something we have always believed at Kandooma: a living manta ray is incredibly valuable, not just environmentally, but to communities, tourism and the Maldives as a whole,” said Sharon Garrett, Director of Marketing & Sustainability at Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives.

“Kandooma’s Manta Month is about helping people understand what is swimming in the waters around us, why these animals are so special and why protecting them matters.”

The Maldives is home to the world’s largest known population of reef manta rays, and Kandooma’s location in South Malé Atoll places it close to an important manta aggregation area.

The Maldives Manta Conservation Programme identifies the resort’s nearby waters as an important habitat for juvenile reef manta rays. During the Southwest Monsoon, mantas feed in the sheltered Guraidhoo Falhu lagoon, also known as Sand Dunes, which contains a recognised cleaning station at Banana Reef.

Long-term Manta Trust research shows manta activity at Guraidhoo Falhu peaking between July and November, predominantly involving juvenile and sub-adult reef manta rays, placing September right in the heart of the documented peak period.

The seasonal movement of manta rays around the Maldives is closely connected to the monsoons. As ocean currents flow around the Maldives’ atolls, they help bring nutrient-rich water towards the surface, supporting concentrations of phytoplankton and zooplankton. Manta rays follow these productive feeding areas and visit cleaning stations where small reef fish remove parasites and dead skin.

Manta rays are unusually vulnerable because they reproduce very slowly. Long-term Maldives research by Manta Trust founder Dr Guy Stevens found that female reef manta rays reach sexual maturity at approximately 15 years old, while males mature at around 11 years. Their very low reproductive rate is one of the reasons manta populations recover slowly from human pressures.

Individual mantas can be identified by the unique pattern of spots on their undersides, much like a human fingerprint, allowing researchers to recognise and track the same animals over many years.

“Once you start learning about mantas, they become much more than something spectacular you hope to see on a dive,” said Garrett.

“You begin to understand that researchers can recognise individual animals, follow their movements and build up histories of their lives. That connection is exactly what we want to encourage during Manta Month at Kandooma.”

The waters surrounding Kandooma also have a long history of marine protection. Guraidhoo Kandu was designated a Marine Protected Area in 1995, and the Manta Trust identifies the area as an important reef manta aggregation area. Long-term research recorded 181 reef manta sightings associated with the protected Guraidhoo Kandu area between 1987 and 2017.

“Many people don’t realise how much work has already been done to protect manta rays and important marine habitats in the Maldives,” said Garrett. “Guraidhoo Kandu, right on our doorstep, has been protected for more than 30 years. Manta Month allows us to share stories and help our guests understand why conservation works.”

Throughout September, guests at Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives are invited to learn more about manta rays through a programme combining education, activities and opportunities to encounter them responsibly in their natural environment.

Guided excursions with the resort’s marine team and Kandooma Dive, its PADI 5 Star Dive Centre, take guests to manta hotspots when conditions and sightings allow, combining the excitement of a potential encounter with information about manta behaviour, habitat and conservation.

The programme also shares the story of a manta (named Kandooma) rescued in August 2023 from ghost fishing nets near the island, illustrating the threats discarded fishing gear can pose to marine life.

Younger guests can get involved through manta-themed activities and crafts, while reef and island clean-ups encourage guests and team members to take practical action for the marine environment.

Manta Month also raises funds for conservation beyond the island. For every manta pendant sold at the resort boutique during Manta Month, US$5 will be donated to the Manta Trust, supporting its research, education and conservation work.

The initiative forms part of Kandooma’s wider sustainability programme and supports its commitment to marine conservation under the framework that contributed to the resort achieving Green Globe Certification.

“If someone leaves Kandooma knowing more about manta rays, appreciating them a little more and understanding why protecting them matters, then Manta Month has achieved what we set out to do,” said Garrett.

Manta Month is celebrated every September at Kandooma, coinciding with one of the key periods for manta activity in neighbouring waters.

Located in South Malé Atoll, approximately 45 minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport, Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives is a private island resort known for its relaxed atmosphere, natural beauty and strong connection to the ocean. The island offers access to exceptional scuba diving, including nearby Kandooma Thila. Accommodation spans Garden and Beach Villas, two-storey Beach Houses and Overwater Villas, complemented by extensive family activities, island dining and Kandooma Spa by COMO Shambhala.

Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives will transition to Kandooma Maldives from 1 October 2026, operated by HPL Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of Hotel Properties Limited. To arrange a stay at Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives, visit the resort’s official website.