Diving with manta rays must rank as one of the most awe-inspiring and exciting underwater experiences for any diver or snorkeler. Matthew Oldfield of ZuBlu Diving gives us his top spots for close encounters.
Combining grace, elegance and power with notable intelligence and inquisitiveness, it’s recently been shown that manta rays have the highest brain-to-body-mass ratios and the largest brains of all fish. Witnessing groups of these animals feed in synchronised twists and turns, or barrel-rolling through clouds of plankton, and it is easy to appreciate why these animals are the star attraction at many dive destinations throughout Asia.
Hanifaru Bay, Baa Atoll, Maldives
Snorkelling amongst the feeding congregations of manta rays and whale sharks at Hanifaru Bay is one of the Maldive’s best known underwater experiences – and quite possibly one of the most exciting of all manta encounters. There are few places in the world where visitors can get so close to so many rays, swimming alongside them as they barrel-rolling and ‘fly’ in formation through the dense plankton – a behaviour that has become known as cyclone feeding.
Located close to the south-eastern edge of the atoll, a 1,300m section of keyhole-shaped reef acts as a funnel, concentrating both currents and any plankton in the water, which in turn attracts filter-feeding giants like manta rays and whale sharks. Conditions and currents have to be just right for feeding aggregations to occur – it is not a daily event – and the best season to witness this extraordinary natural phenomenon is from late July to early October, although it can occur as early as March and as late as December.
Hanifaru Bay was declared a Marine Protected Area in 2009, then incorporated into the Baa Atoll UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in 2011. Diving is no longer permitted in the bay – you can only snorkel with the manta rays and whale sharks – and to keep any disturbance to a minimum, strict guidelines for visitors have been put in place. Visitors must purchase tokens prior to their visit, with all proceeds going towards the Baa Atoll Conservation Fund and the future of the incredible manta congregations of Hanifaru.
Fesdu Lagoon, North Ari Atoll, Maldives
At Fesdu Lagoon, in the North Ari Atoll, divers can witness a breathtaking display by feeding manta rays in
Dive operators take advantage of this behaviour and now run a legendary night dive. Divers take their place within a ring of torches that are arrayed upwards into the water, creating a pool of light that attracts the plankton and the manta rays. Divers simply sit back and watch the spectacular show unfold as the majestic rays swoop, roll and tumble between the guests – often only inches away. This experience is only accessible by liveaboard as a constant source of light is needed to attract the plankton in large enough concentrations to bring in the manta rays and is best during the northeast monsoon – January to April – when the winds and currents push plankton to the western side of the Maldives.
Komodo National Park, Indonesia
Komodo is justifiably famous for its incredible landscapes, biodiversity and, of course, its dragons, but the park is also an exceptional destination for regular sightings of manta rays throughout the year. In the south of the Komodo National Park, the cold, nutrient-rich upwellings that are so prevalent here create blooms of plankton when the cold water hits the sunlit shallows – perfect feeding conditions for manta rays. As such, the south is home to Komodo’s best manta site at the aptly named Manta Alley. Here large numbers of rays gather to feed on the plankton and visit a series of cleaning stations dotted along the reef. Whilst such large gatherings can never be guaranteed, divers can often witness squadrons of mantas feeding in unison, or get up close and personal with a ray as it hovers over a cleaning station.
The north of the park is dominated by warm, clear water and the marine life and habitats are both typical of reefs throughout Indonesia. And for those that still need their manta fix, Karang Makassar close to Batu Bulong and Tatawa is well known for congregations of rays that gather along the reef when the conditions and tides are perfect. The reef here is not the prettiest, but when the tide is running, all eyes are on the groups of manta rays that congregate here.
The north can be dived year-round as the sites are sheltered from any rough seas that can impact the south whilst the south is best dived from October to December when the cold water and calm seas create perfect conditions.
Sangalaki, Kalimantan, Indonesia
The diving around the islands of the Derawan Archipelago has something for everyone – from ‘muck’ and critters around Derawan and stingless jellyfish at Kakaban, to schooling fish, sharks and beautiful reefs around Maratua.
However, for many people, it is the manta rays of Sangalaki that are the highlight of a trip to the area. Sangalaki’s rays are thought to be resident year-round although they will come and go according to their own schedule and sightings are never guaranteed. However, divers have a very good chance of encountering these incredible animals at several sites along Sangalaki’s north and northeastern reef.
Here a series of sand channels funnel the prevailing currents and concentrate any plankton in the water, creating perfect feeding conditions for the manta rays that simply cruise along at the surface, hoovering up their food. Visitors can drop in using a snorkel and mask and drift amongst the rays as they go about their business. There are also several cleaning stations at bommies along the reef where divers can also watch as the rays use the services of small cleaner wrasse and other fish that remove parasites and debris from their skin.
Sangalaki is also home to many turtles which nest on the island, as well as whale sharks that feed around nearby fishing platforms known as ‘bagans’. Given its location so close to the equator, the wet and dry seasons prevalent in much of Indonesia have less impact around Sangalaki and the island can be dived all year round. However for the best weather, I would recommend visiting between March and October when there is little rain, and timing you stay for the dark of the new moon for the best chance to see whale sharks as well as the manta rays.
Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia
The deep seas around the islands of Lembongan, Cenida and Nusa Penida, just off Bali’s southeastern coast, are home to an extraordinary proliferation of marine life – including large numbers of reef manta rays that are reliably encountered around the islands throughout the year. School of these graceful animals gather to feed on the plankton brought in by the strong currents that sweep past the islands every day, as well as to visit ‘cleaning stations’ at several known locations along Nusa Penida’s rocky south coast. Here the manta rays queue up to have parasites and dead skin removed from their bodies by small fish and divers have an amazing chance to get close to these stunning animals. If divers are lucky, they may well see one of Penida’s unusual ‘black morph’ manta rays that have lost a lot of their white markings and are almost completely black.
During the summer months between June and September, cold water upwellings create perfect conditions for the manta rays, as well as the extraordinary Mola mola. Divers have a very good chance of encountering Mola mola around Nusa Penida and Lembongan on a deep dive in the morning, then heading to Nusa Penida’s manta ray sites in the afternoon to complete an amazing big-fish ‘double whammy’ in a single day!
Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia
Raja Ampat is fast becoming one of the best places in Indonesia to dive with manta rays, but because of its more remote location, it narrowly missed making it to our Top 5 manta ray destinations. As well as being home to some of the best reef diving on the planet, Raja Ampat has several dive sites where both reef and oceanic manta rays are seen on a regular basis.
In the north, the famous ‘Manta Ridge’ and ‘Manta Sandy’ sites are both very consistent for reef manta rays, and ‘Blue Magic’ often has visit oceanic manta rays. In the south, close to Misool, ‘Magic Mountain’ has both reef and oceanic manta rays – a unique experience for divers lucky enough to see both in a single dive! Manta rays can be seen throughout the main season from October to May, but December to March offers the best combination of weather and good chances of encountering manta rays.
If diving with manta rays is on your bucket list get in touch with the guys at ZuBlu Diving to book your trip.
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