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Giant Oceanic Manta Ray

With fins as wide as wings, manta rays soar along ocean currents like birds in flight, making them one of the most elegant animals of the sea. The name ‘manta’ comes from the Spanish word blanket and with a wingspan of up to nine meters, it’s easy to see how they can look like a blanket floating in the sea. Scuba diving with mantas is one of the most amazing experiences any diver can have underwater.

Divesites
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© iStock/Divepic

Dive sites with this animal

DivePoint Meedhupparu, 960 Meedhupparu

Kottefaru Thila (★4.5)

Great thila with many small overhangs that often serve as shelter for rays, nurse sharks and turtles. Soft corals and extremely many anemones !! Due to its location in a canal, a current must always be expected. We, therefore, recommend having experience with currents or a * special * dive.
DivePoint Meedhupparu, 960 Meedhupparu

Sola Corner (★4.7)

From November / December to the beginning of May one of the best manta spots in the Maldives! Also suitable for beginners! But not only mantas are sighted here. Lots of pelagic delicacies can be discovered with a bit of luck. Can have a stronger current, but easy to dive.
DivePoint Meedhupparu, 960 Meedhupparu

Neyo Kanmathi (★4.4)

The reef top has something of a lunar landscape, despite or precisely because of this it is often a very special dive. The northern side often serves as a starting point when the current is draining from a steep wall over a sandy plateau to a normal slope. Manta rays between the end of September and November
DivePoint Meedhupparu, 960 Meedhupparu

Maafaru Thila (★4.4)

Great challenging reef that consists of 2 thilas. The eastern Thila is not that big and is circled in 25 to 30 minutes then you fly about. 120m to the 2nd thila. Here it goes down again to look for a frogfish. Between November and April mantas and mobulas possible.
DivePoint Meedhupparu, 960 Meedhupparu

Kottefaru Kanmathi (★4.5)

A very nice drift dive over several hundred meters along the island of Kottefaru. The top reef is made of hard corals that drop from 4 to 8m, sloping down to 15m, then a wall that drops far more than 30m. On the top reef between June and November the site becomes a cleaning station for mantas.
DivePoint Hudhuran Fushi, 20193 Male

Lankan Beyru (★4.4)

Lankan is a cleaning station for manta rays and scuba divers visiting often get to see an amazing manta show, one of the highlights of any trip to the Maldives.
DivePoint Hudhuran Fushi, 20193 Male

Lankan Faru (★4.4)

Nice drift dive for all levels of divers. After Manta season we dive here to watch other amazing life. The reef slopes from 5 to 30m down, deeper on the bottom, sharks and stingrays are found in the sandy areas. In the big rocks, we see groupers and glass fish.
DivePoint Hudhuran Fushi, 20193 Male

Lankan Caves (★4.4)

Cool drift dive that also always brings current with it. Start either near the Manta Point or, with less current, directly at the channel entrance. The caves are rather overhangs that range from 12 to 30m. For the more experienced there is a deep nose in the middle of the current.
ChrisDiving, Dive Center Costa Rica, 50304 Playa Potrero

Bat Island: Big Scare, Gran Susto (★4.7)

Bat Islands are considered one of the best bull shark dive sites (Apr - Nov). But only advanced certified divers are allowed due to the depths. “The Big Scare“ is most famous for the chances of seeing the Bull sharks, although during the dive we can also encounter different types of rays including oceanic mantas.
ChrisDiving, Dive Center Costa Rica, 50304 Playa Potrero

Catalinas Island, Clásico (★4.2)

11 km west of Potrero and Flamingo is the famous site of Clasico. This dive is done on the western side of the islands, from the south towards the north. There are successive ripraps. Several ways to dive possible, depending on certification level. From 10m to more than 30m.
SPORTING CLUB CAVO DIVING, 57038 Rio

Maldive (★4.5)

This site in Palmaiola Island is 30 minute trip. We anchor at the southeast the island, in a depth of about 10 meters; we descend along the anchor line, following the tip of the island which gently slopes down to the bottom. We continue to swim, finding two rockslides at a maximum depth of about 25 meters.
iDIVE Komodo, 86554 Labuan Bajo

Mawan Komodo (★4.7)

Mawan is a small island with white sand beaches and turquoise waters in central Komodo National Park. It holds many surprises for divers, offering huge inhabitants as well as a great macro marine life. Mawan is also a cleaning station for mantas. Divers and snorkelers alike can enjoy seeing them.
ChrisDiving, Dive Center Costa Rica, 50304 Playa Potrero

Los Sombréros (★4.2)

Sombrero is located 9.5km from playa Potrero or 6 miles. Its name is given to it by its shape resembling Mexican hats. There are several launching points all around the islands. The north side is rapidly deeper. Possibility of adapting the depth to the profiles of the divers all around the Island.
iDIVE Komodo, 86554 Labuan Bajo

Tatawa Besar (★4.7)

Tatawa Besar is sometimes classified as a drift dive site, yet it offers an easy drift in shallow waters. The current can be mild to moderate. The dive spot offers a colorful reef with excellent life and many corals. Maximum depth is 30 meters.
Peter S. (#417559)

Rangali Madivaru (★4.4)

Rangali Madivaru (Madi = Manta, Faru = long Reef) is a manta cleaning station located in the channel at approx. 9 meters on the edge where the sloping bottom meets a plateau reef. This dive site is best visited during the manta season when the current is outgoing, otherwise when the current is incoming.
PT. BAHARI INTAN ABADI, 80224 Denpasar Selatan

Manta Point, Sekar Kuning (★4.6)

Located in the south of Nusa Penida Island and facing the Indian Ocean, Manta Point can often have big waves. This dive site has large rock mounds which are often visited by manta rays for self cleaning, giving this site it’s name.
Dive Mission Joy, 08080 K. kasanfaru Lagoon

Lankan Manta Point (★4.6)

To reach in 90 Minutes with the Doni in direction Male. The cleaning stations are located at the out reef and can have a moderate to strong current. Between May to November Mantas can be spotted at the cleaning stations
iDIVE Komodo, 86554 Labuan Bajo

Manta Alley (★4.7)

Manta Alley is located at the southern area of Komodo National Park. The topography is sloped with a bottom composition of coral reef, vegetation, and rock. This dive site is suitable for all levels of divers. There is a high possibility of big wave conditions. Maximum depth is 40 meters.
iDIVE Komodo, 86554 Labuan Bajo

Manta Point , Makassar Reef (★4.6)

Makasar Reef also called Karang Makasar or Manta Point is one of the best meeting sites for manta rays. Beginner divers and snorkelers can navigate this dive spot, offering a gentle drift dive at a depth of 10-15 m. You can dive at Manta Point all year around.
iDIVE Komodo, 86554 Labuan Bajo

Three Sisters Komodo (★4.3)

The Three Sisters are three large rocks all connected to each other, all covered with corals, blue sponges, and are teeming with life. You will dive in the shade of the current and finish the dive on the peaks which top at 6, 7 and 8 meters respectively. You may be lucky enough to spot rays crossing on the top of the pinnacles.
iDIVE Komodo, 86554 Labuan Bajo

Manta Point (★4.5)

Karang Makassar, or Manta Point as it’s more famously known, is Komodo National Park’s biggest dive site at approximately 3km long by 400-500m wide. It is a shallow drift dive site with a beautiful coral reef to the south, dunes to the north, and a rubble coral bottom in between, scattered with manta cleaning stations.
Peter S. (#417559)

Roca Partida (★4.7)

Roca Partida may seem like it is out in the middle of nowhere, sitting approximately 70 miles west of Socorro and 85 miles from San Benedicto, but it is thriving with life. Accessible only by liveaboard, this is an advanced dive on a pinnacle that rises from hundreds of feet of water.
ChrisDiving, Dive Center Costa Rica, 50304 Playa Potrero

Bajo Negro, Black Rock (★4.4)

Black Rock is located in the National Park of Santa Rosa. Part of Bat Island! After some dives at Big Scare we finish the day with a very nice dive at Black Rock. We are on the way Back for Potrero, approximately 45 Kilometers.
PT. BAHARI INTAN ABADI, 80224 Denpasar Selatan

Crystal Bay, Nusa Penida (★4.4)

Located on the west-side of Nusa Penida Island, Crystal Bay has two coral reef formations separated by sand slopes. The combination of slopes and walls that form the topography at this dive site goes down to more than 50 meters and meets with large rock which is an ideal place for a cleaning station for sunfish.
Hobo-Ya Similan, 83120 Phuket

Koh Bon, West Ridge (★4.2)

Bon Island, about 50 km west of Khao Lak, is an uplifted limestone island about 20 km north of the Similan Islands. This is a long and narrow ridge point on the west side of the island.