The verdict
Best places to dive with oceanic mantas
Mobula birostris
The most reliable place to dive with oceanic mantas is Socorro / Revillagigedo, from December to February, June.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 3 of 10 at peak | February: 5 of 10 at peak | March: 8 of 10 at peak | April: 2 of 10 at peak | May: 1 of 10 at peak | June: 2 of 10 at peak | July: 0 of 10 at peak | August: 1 of 10 at peak | September: 1 of 10 at peak | October: 1 of 10 at peak | November: 2 of 10 at peak | December: 2 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak Possible only
Based on 498 OBIS records of oceanic manta (Mobula birostris) within 60 km of 21 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with oceanic mantas
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Socorro / Revillagigedo | Mexico Pacific | Dec–Feb, Jun | Near-guaranteed | 15 of 23 years | Liveaboard |
| 2 | Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat | Indonesia | Jan, Mar | Likely | 8 of 19 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 3 | Poor Knights | New Zealand | Feb–Mar | Likely | 11 of 31 years | Day boat |
| 4 | Similan Islands | Thailand | Feb–Mar | Likely | 9 of 22 yearsfew records | Liveaboard |
| 5 | Western (Isabela/Fernandina), Galapagos | Ecuador | Feb, Apr, Jun, Oct | Likely | 10 of 29 yearsfew records | Liveaboard |
| 6 | Galapagos Central | Ecuador | Mar–Apr, Sep, Nov | Likely | 11 of 31 yearsfew records | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 7 | Misool, Raja Ampat | Indonesia | Mar, Nov–Dec | Likely | 6 of 18 yearsfew records | Liveaboard |
| 8 | Richelieu Rock | Thailand | Jan, Mar, Aug | Likely | 5 of 16 yearsfew records | Liveaboard |
| 9 | Outer Banks | USA | Feb–Mar, May | Hit-or-miss | 6 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 10 | Loreto / Sea of Cortez North | Mexico Pacific | Mar | Hit-or-miss | 8 of 32 yearsfew records | Day boat |
Also on record at Aliwal Shoal, Protea Banks, Daedalus Reef, Roca Partida, Socorro / Revillagigedo, Sea of Cortez / La Paz, Cocos Island, Cano Island / Drake Bay, Coiba, Guanacaste / Catalinas, Oahu and Isla de la Plata.
When to dive with oceanic mantas
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socorro / Revillagigedo | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Not common | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Peak season | Jul: No survey data | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: No survey data | Nov: Possible | Dec: Peak season |
| Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Possible | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Poor Knights | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Similan Islands | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: No survey data | Jul: Possible | Aug: No survey data | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Western (Isabela/Fernandina), Galapagos | Jan: Not common | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Possible | Apr: Peak season | May: Not common | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Not common | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Galapagos Central | Jan: Possible | Feb: Not common | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Not common | Aug: Possible | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Not common | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Possible |
| Misool, Raja Ampat | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Possible | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Richelieu Rock | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Possible | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: No survey data | Jul: Possible | Aug: Peak season | Sep: No survey data | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Outer Banks | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Peak season | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Loreto / Sea of Cortez North | Jan: Not common | Feb: Possible | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
Peak season Possible Not common No survey data
Oceanic manta month by month
- January
- The one peak month at Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat. Also good at Socorro / Revillagigedo and Richelieu Rock.
- February
- Season starts at Poor Knights. Also good at Socorro / Revillagigedo, Similan Islands and 2 more.
- March
- The one peak month at Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat. Also good at Poor Knights, Similan Islands and 5 more.
- April
- The one peak month at Western (Isabela/Fernandina), Galapagos. Also good at Galapagos Central.
- May
- The one peak month at Outer Banks.
- June
- The one peak month at Socorro / Revillagigedo. Also good at Western (Isabela/Fernandina), Galapagos.
- July
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Similan Islands.
- August
- The one peak month at Richelieu Rock.
- September
- The one peak month at Galapagos Central.
- October
- The one peak month at Western (Isabela/Fernandina), Galapagos.
- November
- The one peak month at Galapagos Central. Also good at Misool, Raja Ampat.
- December
- Season starts at Socorro / Revillagigedo. Also good at Misool, Raja Ampat.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months oceanic mantas are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Socorro / Revillagigedo | Dec–Feb, Jun | 24–26 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat | Jan, Mar | 29–30 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Poor Knights | Feb–Mar | 22 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
| Similan Islands | Feb–Mar | 29–30 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Western (Isabela/Fernandina), Galapagos | Feb, Apr, Jun, Oct | 21–25 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
What else you'll see with oceanic mantas
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Whitetip reef shark
At Socorro / Revillagigedo, Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat and 2 more
Reef manta
At Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat and Misool, Raja Ampat
Whale shark
At Similan Islands and Richelieu Rock
Hawksbill turtle
At Similan Islands and Misool, Raja Ampat
Humpback whale
At Galapagos Central and Loreto / Sea of Cortez North
Yellowfin tuna
At Galapagos Central and Outer Banks
Diving with oceanic mantas: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with oceanic mantas?
- The most reliable place to dive with oceanic mantas is Socorro / Revillagigedo, from December to February, June.
- When is the best time to dive with oceanic mantas?
- March, when 8 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Socorro / Revillagigedo peaks December to February, June; Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat peaks January, March; Poor Knights peaks February to March.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with oceanic mantas?
- At Socorro / Revillagigedo from December to February, June, the water is 24 °C to 26 °C, so bring a 5 mm full suit.
- How many places can you dive with oceanic mantas?
- besttimetodive.com has oceanic mantas on record at 21 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.