Why devil diving in the Maldives does a world of good

Forget Miami Beach and Mexico — if you want to swim with massive, magnificent, mysterious mobulids (the fish family that includes both manta and devil rays) make for the Maldives.Don’t be frightened by their two horn-shaped fins, or their whip-like tails.Neither of these angelic fish are anything like their deadly cousin, the sting ray (responsible for killing Steve Irwin).

In fact, these endangered, SUV-sized creatures (the wingspan of the largest female manta rays can reach 23 feet) and their smaller “devil” friends need our help.“I think the biggest misconception people have about manta rays is that they can be dangerous or aggressive towards humans,” said Meral Hafeez, who points out that their tails do not have venom-filled barbs.She’s a project manager for the Manta Trust, a UK charity with a satellite office just a shell’s throw from the overwater bungalows of the InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort, which hosts an annual, $375 per day Manta Retreat — typically held in March.“The InterContinental is surrounded by Maamunagau lagoon, the first recorded nursery site that we know of in the Maldives,” she said.

“This means we’ve got mantas literally on our doorstep.”But no matter where you stay, the Maldives is the best place in the world to see these gentle giants in the wild — with a population of 6,000 ocean and reef manta rays.In fact, manta tourism alone contributes $8.1 million annually to the country’s economy.On our first morning snorkeling in the aquamarine lagoon, I came mask-to-manta with Zoomie — a tailless 2-year-old ray.

The Manta Trust doesn’t know what happened to her tail, or if she’s even a “her.” Manta rays, which can live to be up to 60 years old, don’t reach puberty and reveal their gender until around age 15.“A guest recently adopted a manta through our adopt-a-manta program and named her Carlita,” Hafeez said.“Well, it turns out Carlita is actually Carlito.”I know these 1,500-po...