Explore Yap

Yap, nestled in the Caroline Islands of the Pacific Ocean, offers a diving experience unlike any other. With its pristine reefs and uncrowded dive sites, Yap is a diver's paradise, accessible for enthusiasts of all skill levels. Whether you're fascinated by wrecks, intrigued by vibrant reefs, or eager to explore vertical walls, Yap provides a diverse underwater landscape. The island's warm waters and excellent visibility make it an ideal location to take dive courses, ranging from beginner to professional levels.

A key attraction of Yap is its resident manta rays. Known for having the largest concentration of manta rays in the world, these majestic creatures can be seen year-round, especially during the December to April mating season. Divers often encounter these gentle giants at cleaning stations, where they gather to be tended by cleaner fish. Additionally, Yap's shark diving is another highlight, with blacktip and whitetip reef sharks frequently spotted. Whether you're diving from shore, boat, or liveaboard, Yap promises a thrilling aquatic adventure, enriched by its cultural heritage and the spontaneous dances of dolphins and pilot whales during wetter months.

Places to Explore

Mi'l Channel

3 Divesites

Mi’l Channel, the area that made Yap famous among divers, is located on the northern end of the island.

Goofnuw Channel

In the Goofnuw Channel, you are guaranteed to see manta rays all throughout the year displaying their unique behavior.

Southwest Outer Reef

4 Divesites

If you are looking for deeper dives and more dramatic landscapes, you can’t miss out on diving the southwest corner of Yap.

Top Dive Sites Map

★★★★☆ Eagle’s Nest - Micronesia

This site is named for several rock and coral pinnacles that are cleaning stations for eagle rays. Eagles Nest is a drift dive that needs current to see it all. summertime is the season for drifting the southern Pacific reef.

82
Logs
63
Divers
25.0 m
⌀ Depth
30.0 m
⌀ Visibility

★★★★☆ Cabbage Patch - Micronesia

Cabbage Patch is named after a bank of brilliant yellow lettuce coral set in a sloping wall along the southern reef. divers can expect clear water, a variety of hard coral, schools of fish, sightings of eagle rays hanging in the current, reef sharks, anemones and macro life.

86
Logs
76
Divers
20.0 m
⌀ Depth
18.0 m
⌀ Visibility

★★★★★ Yap Caverns

The southern most tip of the island offers divers the most diversity of life and interesting topography where divers swim through the reef with life big and small. Yap Caverns amphitheater is one of Yap’s best environments for macro subjects at every depth.

84
Logs
35
Divers
23.0 m
⌀ Depth
26.0 m
⌀ Visibility

★★★★★ Vertigo

Vertigo is home to our school of grey and black tip reef sharks. Located in the Philippine Sea off of the West coast of the island south of M’il Channel, a 25 to 35 minute boat ride. One of the best shark dives in the world.

235
Logs
117
Divers
20.0 m
⌀ Depth
28.0 m
⌀ Visibility
Mares

★★★★☆ Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is one of the richest environments along the southern walls. the topography is unique with a plateau of coral blommies to an infinite hard coral sloping wall. Rock overhangs and crevices harbor resting turtles, nice macro subjects and reef fish being cleaned.

35
Logs
28
Divers
21.0 m
⌀ Depth
25.0 m
⌀ Visibility
Aqualung

★★★★★ Stop Sign

South side of the island where the currents bring in the pelagics. Sloping coral from about 20ft/7m to several hundred feet/m. Plate, table, boulder, and finger corals everywhere.

1
Logs
1
Divers
24.0 m
⌀ Depth
30.0 m
⌀ Visibility
Mares

★★★☆☆ Slow and Easy

Short boat ride from the dock. Although mostly used as a training site, this site has patches of large coral with a wide array of marine life. Can drop off into the main channel.

73
Logs
29
Divers
14.0 m
⌀ Depth
12.0 m
⌀ Visibility
Scubapro

★★★★☆ Stammtisch

Large hill of finger and plate corals on the edge of the channel. The coral ridge has several cleaning stations which, along with the currents, attract Manta Rays.

85
Logs
33
Divers
10.0 m
⌀ Depth
12.0 m
⌀ Visibility
Scubapro, Stephen Frink

★★★★☆ Mi'l Channel

“Mi’l“ means “strong current“ in Yapese. A high coral ridge running across the main channel features reef fish in the shallower areas and attracts pelagics on the channel side where there is more current.

50
Logs
23
Divers
20.0 m
⌀ Depth
22.0 m
⌀ Visibility

Diving in Yap

Manta and shark-spotting are the most popular dives in Yap, though there are some exceptional reef dives, particularly at Rainbow Reef. Yap Caverns promises thrilling cave diving, while Vertigo, which lies along Yap’s outer reefs, boasts amazing drop-offs.

The best Months to Dive in Yap

Yap diving is possible year-round, thanks to its warm, tropical climate that sees average water temperatures lingering around 28°C/82°F. However, for the best chance of manta ray encounters, head to Yap during the manta ray mating season, which occurs from December until April.

Furthermore, in terms of specific manta locations, there are a few dive sites to be aware of, and their timing for the appearance of these winged beauties is slightly different. At Mi’l Channel, dive from November to May, and for The Valley of the Rays, consider diving between May and November.

Statistics

Historical data and trends

Dive Activity & Environmental Conditions

Centers Map

Manta Ray Bay Resort & Yap Divers

1 Manta Ray Drive, 96943 Yap, FSM