Nearly everyone loves Manta rays. These wonderful creatures are harmless, feeding on plankton as they glide swiftly through the water, and visiting cleaning stations to enjoy the services of the fish and shrimp that benefit from the nutritious parasites which accumulate on the Mantas over time.
Micronesia’s island of Yap is one of the world’s best places to encounter these graceful animals in their natural habitat. Let’s take a look at three top destinations for diving with Manta Rays.
Valley of The Rays in Goofnuw Channel
At Valley of the Rays, coral outcroppings that rise from the sandy bottom of Goofnuw Channel attract the Mantas, thanks to the cleaner wrasse that, like car wash attendants, wait for their winged customers to arrive.
The edges of the channel feature table and antler coral formations, and besides the Manta rays, you will often encounter white tip reef sharks, octopus, and some extraordinarily large puffer fish, as well as the cleaner wrasse which are always here.
The action takes place between fifteen and twenty-two meters, near a huge formation of lettuce coral that dominates the entire scene. Called the Merry-Go-Round, this is the largest of the cleaning stations in the area. Other cleaning stations in Goofnuw Channel are Manta Rock, a pinnacle that rises to within 33 feet of the surface, and the Carwash, which is another lettuce coral formation. While Merry-Go-Round and Carwash are excellent vantage points, Manta Rock is best when the current is strong, as it offers some protection.
Manta Ridge
A shallow site with excellent visibility, Manta Ridge has a maximum depth of only ten meters, and visibility that sometimes exceeds twenty meters. This coral ridge sits across Mi’l Channel, intensifying the tidal current and often drawing more than twenty Manta rays at a time. The ridge also attracts schooling jacks and black snappers, and it is not uncommon to sight white tip or grey reef sharks in the area. Beautiful hard coral wreathed in anemones and clusters of brilliant soft coral make an amazing backdrop for photos.
Like other great Manta ray viewing sites, Manta Ridge is home to a number of species of cleaner wrasse and other reef fish, all of which spring into action as soon as a Manta presents itself for “spa service!”
Manta Ray Bay
Manta Ray Bay is located just a short distance from Manta Ridge, where the channel widens and becomes much deeper, and where the current becomes much less intense. With a lovely wall that begins at three meters, gradually descending over a series of ledges to eventually meet the sandy seabed at twenty-two meters, the area is not only a Manta ray viewing hotspot, it is amazingly picturesque, as well. With visibility that often exceeds thirty meters, and with many species of both hard and soft coral, Manta Ray Bay features a large coral formation at about seventeen meters, which acts as a massive cleaning station. Here, butterfly fish and angelfish join with the cleaner wrasse to take care of the Mantas that visit on a daily basis.
With marvelous hotels and resorts, plus exceptional dive operators with years of experience diving with Manta Rays, the island of Yap has plenty of marvelous dive sites, including the three we have just visited. These sites are immensely popular, so be sure to check availability ahead of your holiday to be certain you have the opportunity to visit those that interest you most!