Skip to content »
Skip to second navigation »

Apr

01

2012

Nov

30

2012

Apr

01

2013

Nov

30

2013

Apr

01

2014

Nov

30

2014


Mingle with Manta Rays at Nusa Penida

Published by Kristin Cowles, Editor-in-Chief

Country: Indonesia

The Experience

Diving with mantas is a special moment when people are able to commune with the birds of the sea. Some might fear the idea of being anywhere near a giant manta ray; but to the open minded and adventuresome it's a moment they will surely remember for life.

Bali, Indonesia is home to an abundance of rich marine and coral life, including manta rays. Despite their large size (10–25 ft.) manta rays are filter feeders that only eat plankton, which they suck through their gills. A good place to dive with mantas is at a reef cleaning station where they congregate with smaller fish such as wrassess and angelfish who feed off the parasites and dead skin they remove from the mantas.

Nusa Penida, an island off the south-east coast of Bali, is a great spot to dive with mantas. Not only is the diving great, but so is the scenery. Along Nusa Penida's rugged coast the soaring height of the cliffs is matched only by the height of the crashing waves. Dotted with coves and several rock archways, the views are fantastic, as long as you can avoid sea sickness. Rolling along the turbulent waters, thrill-seeking divers happily roll off the back of dive boats and plunge into the cool water.

At Manta Point, Nusa Penida divers are pushed and pulled repeatedly in the strong surge as the docile manta rays soar overhead. The coral isn't overly spectacular, but that's not the reason for the trip. Diving with mantas is a pleasure all its own. Slow and coyly the mantas begin to glide in above the cleaning station. Their movements are graceful and calm, showing no effects of the surge despite divers being tossed around like a wave in the sea. Harmless and curious at best, manta rays (when given the space) will circle a cleaning station for hours, feeding on plankton and being cleaned by other fish. Divers at Manta Point can typically see anywhere from 3–8 manta rays.

Diving with mantas at Manta Point in Nusa Penida is a surreal experience. Floating relatively powerlessly (due to the surge) below these mammoth beings, you gain an appreciation of nature and your small role in the grander scheme of life

Photos

Map

Puzzle

When to Go to Diving With Mantas

The best time of year to dive with mantas in Bali is between April to November. During this time weather is warm and dry, with the peak tourist months being July, August and September.

Odds n' Ends

Dive trips to Nusa Penida typically depart from Sanur and cost between US$90-$120. Manta Point is just one of many spots you will get to experience when you do a dive trip to Nusa Penida. Other dive spots, such as Crystal Bay and Pura Ped, are nice relaxing drift dives, a welcome change of pace following the strong surge at Manta Point.

More Experiences Nearby

Learning to Catch a Wave in Bali
Visions of surfers riding gnarly waves fueled my excitement. Forgetting about my nerves I focused on acting the part of these bronzed beach gods, adapting my best laid back surfer attitude. I was in Bali, and I was going to learn how to surf! Bali is a world renowned surf destination in Indonesia offering a large selection of surf locations ranging from beginner spots like Kuta Beach and Sanur, to world class barreling reefbreaks such as Padang Padang and Uluwatu. Going to Bali and not trying to surf, is like going to Paris and not visiting the Louvre. It's unheard ...25 miles away.

Video

Video Wall

You are now being transfered to our Video Wall

Books and DVDs

Diving Southeast Asia: A guide to Asia's tropical seas
An Underwater Guide to Indonesia
Diving Bali: The Underwater Jewel of Southeast Asia

Elsewhere on the Web

Lembongan Island and Nusa Penida - Dive-the-world.com
Diving Bali - Nusa Penida Dive Sites

Media References

Scuba Diving In Bali (magazine)
Record mass dive in Indonesia: Guinness (book)

Language Guides

Indonesian , Malay , Mandarin , Portugese are some of the languages spoken in Indonesia. If you know of a freely available phrase book or podcast for one of the missing languages, let us know!

Discussion

Experienced this and have something to share? Experienced something like this somewhere else? Looking for advise or travel companions? Use this space to leave your mark. Our writers and editors are more than happy to help answer your questions.

People with experience


Recent Tweets

Listed below are the most recent comments made on Twitter for "diving with mantas":