In August 2024 I came back to one of my favourite places on earth, Hanifaru bay in Baa Atoll, Maldives. Together with my crew from Humblebee Productions we were there to film one of the most spectacular feeding events in Nature. I’ve spent many many months at Hanifaru over the years and it is always a joy to return.
Hanifaru is a wonder. Driven by the tides and currents associated with the full moon hundreds of tonnes of yummy plankton are swept through a small keyhole into Hanifaru bay, where, unable to escape, they are mercilessly devoured by hundreds of reef manta rays. It’s a truly stunning spectacle, to be so close to hundreds of 5m wide manta rays while they perform balletically is a really humbling experience.
Given the strict protocols in place, due to the need to protect and conserve the area, this was a freediving shoot. No SCUBA, no rebreather. It’s exceptionally challenging work to film underwater. Even more so when you can’t breathe! It’s also a really enjoyable challenge. Visibility in the bay can be poor due to the shear amount of plankton in the water column. The mantas tend to loop around and do kind of laps through the most concentrated areas . By the time you see them it’s too late to position for a shot so it was very much a game of anticipating the pulses of feeding and diving down to be in the right place at the right depth to capture the shots I needed to convey the beauty and drama of this mega-buffet. If you get it wrong then you end up hanging in empty water, then surfacing to watch all the action happen beneath you as you try to get some oxygen back in your lungs!
I have several underwater housings in my tool-kit. In order to stay as streamlined as possible I chose to use my Nauticam LT housing on this shoot. It’s super small and low profile. Ideal for freediving work and quick deployment. I also filmed drone using my DJI Mavic 3 Cine.
A huge added bonus for this shoot was the opportunity to work closely with my friends at the Manta Trust. I’ve been involved with them for almost two decades now and am proud to be a Patron. In many ways the Manta Trust was founded at Hanifaru and it’s a great example of what conservation and research can achieve, together with local support, to conserve this incredible area and the animals which visit each year. Manta Trust gave us support with advice before the shoot and we worked closely with one of their local researchers, Ell, during the shoot. Please do visit their website and help support the Manta Trust.
The moon is such a huge driver of underwater marine behaviour with its effect on global and local tides and currents. It’s really wonderful to see this series use that narrative and show how dependent wildlife is on these lunar rhythms.
Moon: Nature’s Secret Force airs in the UK on Sky TV from November 30th
Producer: Eloisa Noble
Director: Tasha Busjeet
Camera Assistant: Nicki Mehrag
Scientific Advice: Elspeth Strike – Manta Trust
Dive Support: Liquid Salt
Camera: Red DSMC2 Gemini
Housing: Nauticam LT
Drone: DJI Mavic 3 Cine