Highlights / The best places to dive with rays

The best places to dive with rays

Getting up close with a manta ray is every diver’s dream. These majestic, elegant yet peaceful animals glide easily through the ocean and make up for a truly magical experience that you will never forget. Manta rays can grow up to 7 meters and live at least 50 years. Although these gentle giants can be found in many places around the globe, they prefer warmer, tropical waters like the Indo-Pacific. Some favourable dive sites where you’ll have higher chances to swim with these graceful creatures, are the Socorro Island in Mexico, Kona in Hawaii and Raja Ampat in Indonesia.

Divesites

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.

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.

SSI Service Center Japan, 101-0051 Chiyoda-ku

Koganezaki (★4.3)

Located in Koganezaki Park, you can enjoy various flowers depending on the season, and entry/exit is very easy to do due to the ramps and handrails. When you enter, you’ll see a wide range of gorotas up to a few meters deep, and beyond that, you’ll see an entire surface of the sand.

iStock-mantaphoto

Gordon Rocks, Galapagos (★4.5)

Near to the Santa Cruz Island and also known as the “washing machine”, you find the Gordon Rocks. Due to currents and upwellings, this dive site is suitable for advanced divers. On this site you will see hammerhead sharks and the famous oceanic sunfish (mola mola).

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.

Tauchsportzentrum Niederrhein, 46562 Voerde

Alcyone, Cocos Island (★4.4)

Alcyone is an underwater mountain off Cocos Island. Strong to very strong current is always possible. Descent on the rope. There is a maximum depth of 30 meters. Great dive experience required! This is a great dive site that is always worth it as everything is possible here!

Mares

Manta Ray Heaven, Garden Eel Cove (★4.7)

Manta Heaven is one of three typical spots where dive operators out of Kona take divers for the famous manta ray night dives. Get ready for the show of a lifetime as huge manta rays swoop right over head at these cleaning stations while you circle around a single light source that attracts them.