The verdict
Best places to dive with reef mantas
Mobula alfredi
The most reliable place to dive with reef mantas is Lombok, from All year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 8 of 10 at peak | February: 9 of 10 at peak | March: 8 of 10 at peak | April: 8 of 10 at peak | May: 8 of 10 at peak | June: 7 of 10 at peak | July: 7 of 10 at peak | August: 7 of 10 at peak | September: 8 of 10 at peak | October: 8 of 10 at peak | November: 10 of 10 at peak | December: 7 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak
Based on 1,879 OBIS records of reef manta (Mobula alfredi) within 60 km of 21 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with reef mantas
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lombok | Indonesia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 16 of 19 years | Day boat |
| 2 | Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat | Indonesia | Jan–Mar, Nov | Near-guaranteed | 16 of 19 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 3 | Tulamben / Amed | Indonesia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 16 of 21 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 4 | Komodo North | Indonesia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 16 of 22 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 5 | Komodo South | Indonesia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 16 of 22 years | Liveaboard |
| 6 | Big Island / Kona | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 21 of 30 years | Day boat |
| 7 | Nusa Penida | Indonesia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 16 of 23 years | Day boat |
| 8 | Misool, Raja Ampat | Indonesia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 12 of 18 yearsfew records | Liveaboard |
| 9 | Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives | Maldives | Sep–Nov | Near-guaranteed | 10 of 16 years | Day boat |
| 10 | Wayag / North, Raja Ampat | Indonesia | Feb, Apr–May, Nov | Near-guaranteed | 12 of 15 years | Liveaboard |
Also on record at North & Central Atolls, Maldives, Palau, Byron Bay / Julian Rocks, Oahu, South (Addu / Laamu), Maldives, Derawan / Sangalaki, Ribbon Reefs, Ningaloo, Gili Islands, Fakarava, French Polynesia and Cairns.
When to dive with reef mantas
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lombok | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Possible | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Possible |
| Tulamben / Amed | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Komodo North | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Komodo South | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Big Island / Kona | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Nusa Penida | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Misool, Raja Ampat | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives | Jan: Not common | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Possible |
| Wayag / North, Raja Ampat | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Possible | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Possible | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Possible |
Peak season Possible Not common
Reef manta month by month
- January
- Season starts at Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat. Also good at Lombok, Tulamben / Amed and 5 more.
- February
- The one peak month at Wayag / North, Raja Ampat. Also good at Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat, Lombok and 6 more.
- March
- Last peak month at Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat. Also good at Lombok, Tulamben / Amed and 5 more.
- April
- Season starts at Wayag / North, Raja Ampat. Also good at Lombok, Tulamben / Amed and 5 more.
- May
- Last peak month at Wayag / North, Raja Ampat. Also good at Lombok, Tulamben / Amed and 5 more.
- June
- Best at Lombok, Tulamben / Amed and 5 more.
- July
- Best at Lombok, Tulamben / Amed and 5 more.
- August
- Best at Lombok, Tulamben / Amed and 5 more.
- September
- Season starts at Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives. Also good at Lombok, Tulamben / Amed and 5 more.
- October
- Best at Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives, Lombok and 6 more.
- November
- The one peak month at Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat. Also good at Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives, Wayag / North, Raja Ampat and 7 more.
- December
- Best at Lombok, Tulamben / Amed and 5 more.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months reef mantas are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lombok | All year | 28–29 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat | Jan–Mar, Nov | 29–30 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Tulamben / Amed | All year | 28–30 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Komodo North | All year | 28–30 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Komodo South | All year | 27–29 °C | 3 mm full suit |
What else you'll see with reef mantas
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Bigeye trevally
At Tulamben / Amed, Komodo North and 4 more
Bumphead parrotfish
At Komodo North, Komodo South and 3 more
Ocellated eagle ray
At Lombok, Tulamben / Amed and 2 more
Bump-head sunfish
At Lombok, Tulamben / Amed and Nusa Penida
Napoleon wrasse
At Komodo North, Komodo South and Wayag / North, Raja Ampat
Whitetip reef shark
At Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat and Misool, Raja Ampat
Diving with reef mantas: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with reef mantas?
- The most reliable place to dive with reef mantas is Lombok, from All year.
- When is the best time to dive with reef mantas?
- November, when 10 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Lombok peaks All year; Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat peaks January to March, November; Tulamben / Amed peaks All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with reef mantas?
- At Lombok from All year, the water is 28 °C to 29 °C, so bring a skin or 3 mm shorty.
- How many places can you dive with reef mantas?
- besttimetodive.com has reef mantas on record at 21 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.