Snorkeling with Manta Rays Bali
At the Underwater Tribe we love interacting with Manta Rays! If you have paid attention to our photos and videos over the last few years you have probably noticed that we post a lot about manta ray encounters in Komodo and Raja Ampat. However, what many people don’t know is that Bali is home to it’s own incredible manta ray population. The offshore island of Nusa Penida is a mere 45 minute speed boat ride from Sanur and boasts several locations which offer divers and snorkelers “world class” opportunities to interact with these gentle giants.
Manta Point
Manta Point is the best place for divers to encounter manta rays. This dive site has 2 cleaning stations, one around 20 metres in depth, and the other in a very shallow 7 metres. Reef mantas, Manta alfredi, and the occasional Oceanic manta, Manta birostris, visit these rocky areas in order to have small fish clean parasites from their skin. Although it can be a very popular dive site, this is one of the best areas in the world to see mantas as they are very used to divers. For lucky divers, this site also attracts the elusive Mola ramsayi (Southern ocean sunfish), the largest bony fish in the ocean, during the colder months of June – October.
Manta Bay
The second area in Nusa Penida where manta rays are commonly encountered is a large bay enticingly known as “Manta Bay”. In this bay the mantas are not encountered at a cleaning station but rather near the surface engaged in filter feeding on plankton and other nutrients. Although many people do enjoy diving with the mantas here, the best way to interact is via snorkeling. Please have a look at the attached video and see what it’s like to dive with a large group of these majestic animals as they glide gracefully through the water column.
Manta rays are found all year round in Bali and we run trips to Nusa Penida to encounter mantas every day as long as the weather conditions allow (for a minimum of 2 people). For more information on our Bali Dive Trips please check out our Bali Dive Safari packages.
