Snorkel With Manta Rays
Still to do
Hang at the surface while giant mantas loop and somersault beneath you, mouths wide open, feeding on plankton.
The adventure
The first manta appears as a dark diamond rising out of the blue, and keeps getting bigger. By the time it passes beneath you, wingtip to wingtip it's wider than you are tall, and it moves with slow, effortless flaps, its white belly flashing as it banks. Then it turns, comes straight back towards you with its mouth wide open, and veers away at the last moment.
At the right place and time there may be dozens. In the Maldives' Hanifaru Bay, plankton gets trapped in the bay during the southwest monsoon and mantas pile in to feed, sometimes swirling in a chain called cyclone feeding. Off Kona in Hawaii, lights after dark draw plankton and the mantas barrel-roll through the beam just beneath your mask. It's graceful, gentle and utterly hypnotic.
Why it’s epic
- Oceanic mantas can measure up to around 7 metres across, and reef mantas commonly reach 3 to 5 metres.
- Hanifaru Bay in Baa Atoll, part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, can draw more than 100 mantas at once.
- Kona's night snorkel puts mantas in the beam of your torch, sometimes just centimetres away.
- At Manta Point off Nusa Penida, reef mantas visit a cleaning station to have parasites picked off by small fish.
What it is
Manta rays are huge, graceful rays that can reach seven metres across.
How to do it
Hanifaru Bay in the Maldives, Nusa Penida in Bali and Kona in Hawaii are well-known places to snorkel with them.
Top tip
Don't touch the mantas; it damages their protective coating.
Need to know
- Hanifaru is snorkel-only and best from June to November; Nusa Penida and Kona see mantas all year.
- Keep at least 3 metres away, never touch or chase them, and don't use flash photography.
- Sites like Manta Point can have strong currents and swell, so be a confident swimmer and use a reputable boat.
Make it happen
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Why it’s on my list
The Manta Ray can reach up to a whopping 7 Meters in width and are found in warm water.
The prospect of swimming in their presence and being totally dwarfed by their gigantic size makes this a definite addition to my bucket list.
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