Baa Atoll
Baa Atoll is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve reached by a scenic 30-minute seaplane flight from Male, and it is worth the journey. The water here really is as clear as the photographs suggest, but the main draw lies beneath the surface, at Hanifaru Bay, where manta rays and whale sharks gather seasonally in some of the best snorkelling waters on earth. It is hard to leave without feeling like you have seen something rare.