Where and when to see manta rays on a liveaboard

17 July 2026

Manta rays are one of the animals divers plan a whole trip around. To see them you need to be in the right place in the right season, because mantas follow the plankton they feed on. The best liveaboard destinations for mantas are the Maldives, Raja Ampat, Thailand and Komodo, each with its own manta season. Here is where and when to dive with them.

Photo: DiveScanner. A reef manta in the Maldives.

The two kinds of manta

Divers meet two species. Reef mantas are the smaller, more common kind that gather at coastal cleaning stations and feeding sites. Oceanic mantas are larger, range further offshore and are seen less often. Both are harmless filter feeders that eat plankton, which is why green, planktony water often means more mantas. When the plankton blooms, the mantas arrive to feed, and that is what drives every manta season below.

Maldives: the best manta gathering on earth

The Maldives is the top manta destination in the world. Baa Atoll's Hanifaru Bay is a protected feeding site where dozens, sometimes hundreds, of reef mantas gather to feed in the plankton, with a peak in the south-west monsoon from roughly June to November. Away from the peak, reef mantas are seen year round at cleaning stations across the atolls, so a liveaboard can find them in almost any month. Read the best time to dive the Maldives, see why August is peak manta season, and compare Maldives liveaboards.

Raja Ampat: mantas in the Dampier Strait

Raja Ampat in eastern Indonesia has both reef and oceanic mantas, best known at cleaning stations such as Manta Sandy in the Dampier Strait. The liveaboard season runs from about October to April, with the best manta action from December to March, when the seas are calmest. Read the Raja Ampat diving season guide and compare Raja Ampat liveaboards.

Thailand: reef mantas at Koh Bon

In Thailand, Koh Bon is a reef manta cleaning station in the Similan and Surin national parks. The season runs from about November to May while the parks are open, with the best manta and whale shark chances from February to April. It is a gentle, good-value destination that suits newer divers. Read the Thailand seasonal diving guide and compare Thailand liveaboards.

Komodo: mantas year round

Komodo in Indonesia has mantas year round at its southern sites, strongest from about April to November. It is a separate region from Raja Ampat and sails in a different season, so if mantas are your goal, check which Indonesian region a boat actually dives before you book.

Manta season month by month

Plan your manta trip

If mantas are the reason for your trip, match the destination to the month and to your dive level, then give yourself enough days on the water for the plankton and the animals to come good. DiveScanner compares real, current prices from every operator and agency for each boat, so you find the best manta departure without checking each booking site yourself.

FAQ

When is manta season in the Maldives?

The main manta season is the south-west monsoon, roughly June to November, when plankton draws large numbers of mantas to Hanifaru Bay in Baa Atoll. Reef mantas are also seen year round at cleaning stations across the atolls.

Where can I dive with mantas year round?

The Maldives has reef mantas year round at cleaning stations, and Komodo in Indonesia has mantas year round at its southern sites. Seasonal peaks add Raja Ampat from December to March and Thailand from February to April.

What is the difference between reef and oceanic mantas?

Reef mantas are the smaller, more common kind seen at coastal cleaning stations and feeding sites. Oceanic mantas are larger, range further offshore and are seen less often. Both are harmless filter feeders that eat plankton.