Maldives · Spearfishing zone
Hanifaru Bay Marine Protected Area (Baa Atoll)
What this zone is
Overview
How spearfishing is treated at Hanifaru Bay Marine Protected Area (Baa Atoll).
Hanifaru Bay is a core no-take Marine Protected Area in the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (declared an MPA in 2009; core MPA within the Biosphere Reserve in 2011). Fishing and scuba diving are banned; it is a snorkel-only protected zone famous for manta ray and whale shark aggregations. Spearfishing is prohibited here both under the national speargun ban (Section 12(a), R-75/2020) and under MPA rules (Section 12(b)).
On the coast
Location
Approximate reference point for this zone. See the full picture on the interactive map.
5.1732°N, 73.1443°E
View on the mapSource
This zone is documented in the official source below.
Before you dive
License for Maldives
Whether you need a license to spearfish here, and how to get one.