Dive Happy

Where To See Manta Rays In Indonesia

Indonesia has plenty of places where you can see manta rays, but you need to plan ahead for the best chances of an epic manta encounter.

Manta Ray in the shallows, Manta Alley, Komodo
Hullo! Manta Alley, Komodo, 2024 © chris@divehappy.com
If you’re planning to do a liveaboard in Komodo or Raja Ampat in Indonesia, it’s very likely that you’ll encounter manta rays. But you don’t have to be a diver – there’s also a famous spot off Bali where you can both snorkel and scuba dive with mantas, and some of the Komodo hotspots for mantas are good for snorkellers too.

There’s two species of manta ray – the smaller reef mantas that stay close to the coastline and the much bigger oceanic mantas that spend time out in the depths of the deep ocean. Manta rays are not aggressive or dangerous – there’s no sting in their tail and they tend to disappear if divers or snorkellers are chasing them or getting to close. It’s alway better to stay as still as possible and wait for the mantas to come close to you once they’ve become used to your presence.

Manta ray with scars, Manta Alley, Komodo
Battle scars, Manta Alley, 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

Manta Point, Nusa Penisa, Bali

Manta Point is probably the easiest place in Indonesia to get to see manta rays. Nusa Penida is the island near to Lembongan island, a short ferry ride from east Bali. This area is famous both for manta rays and mola mola, the giant sunfish that appear for a few months each year. There are plenty of dive operators and daytrip boats that will take you there, as you can both snorkel and dive here to see mantas. It’s a popular spot as a result.

For diving on Lembongan, I’d recommend BigFishDiving.com. You can find lots of Manta Point snorkelling day trips on GetYourGuide and Klook. Be aware there can be a lot of current around Nusa Penida and Lembongan, so take safety seriously and read customer reviews of operators carefully.

Manta ray approaching, Manta Alley, Komodo
Manta ray approaching, Manta Alley, Komodo, 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

Manta Alley, Komodo

Right at the southern most tip of Komodo, Manta Alley is suitably spectacular topside, surrounded by huge rocky islands jutting out of the water. The alley itself is carved through the rock below, and the mantas like to sweep through it and then congregate on either side around cleaning stations.It’s not uncommon to see several manta rays all here at the same time. This is my favourite manta spot in Indonesia.

Manta Alley’s remoteness means you can only really get there by liveaboard – it’s too far away for dayboats to reach and there’s no dive resorts in the area. Be sure to check with your liveaboard operator if they will try to go to Manta Alley, as some boats only dive in the central area of Komodo National Park. See more pictures and info about Manta Alley.

Magic Mountain, Misool, Raja Ampat

One of Raja’s most famous dive sites, Magic Mountain is a huge sea mount which is covered in corals and alive with clouds of fish too. It’s a vibrant site where Manta rays frequently show up for cleaning – conveniently there’s both a deeper and shallower cleaning station so there’s two chances of spotting them during the dive. This site is near to Misool Eco Resort, and is also visited by pretty much every liveaboard boat in Raja Ampat – the resort helps co-ordinate making sure there’s only one boat at a time.

Manta close up, Sangalaki © Chris MitchellManta close up while snorkelling, Sangalaki, 2010 © Chris Mitchell

Sangalaki – Kalimantan

Sangalaki island is famous for its resident manta ray population. The mantas frequent the waters around the island to feed, and it’s possible to see them diving and snorkelling. Sangalaki is located in the Kalimantan area of Indonesia – Kalimantan is the Indonesian territory on Borneo island. Sangalaki island has one modest resort on it, and the surrounding waters can also be dived from speedboats from other resorts in the region and liveaboard boat. Liveaboards usually follow an itinerary around the islands of Sangalaki, Sambit, Derawan and Nabucco – see my Kalimantan liveaboard trip report.

Manta Sandy, Waigeo, Raja Ampat

This is a very popular site as it’s a fairly shallow bommie at 16 metres on a flat sandy bottom around which manta rays frequently arrive to circle around around it as a cleaning station. Because it’s accessible and a fairly simple dive, there can sometimes feel like a bit of a crowd in the water. There’s also a circle of rocks around the bommie to keep divers at a safe distance from the mantas and avoid scaring them off.

Manta ray in sideview at Basur Makassar, Komodo
Manta ray at Basur Makassar, 2013 © chris@travelhappy.info

Basur Makassar, Komodo

A rocky, flat bottom that usually has current, this dive site lets you drift over the rubble like bottom at around 15 metres and often spot manta rays riding the current too. There are cleaning stations if you can hang around long enough, and further along there’s a nice outcrop of reef with some turtles in residence. This is a popular snorkelling spot to see the mantas too, and it could well be you have more luck seeing them snorkelling rather than diving if the current is running fast.

Manta over the reef, Dayang
Manta over the reef, Dayang, Raja Ampat, 2023 © chris@divehappy.com

Dayang, Waigeo, Raja Ampat

A sandy ridge with reef sloping away either side, Dayang is famous for manta rays coming to play, but they are quite skittish here too. On the couple of occasions I’ve dived here we’ve had sightings but not for long. The visibility is not terribly good, but the reef is super rich even if the mantas don’t show. There’s a lot of wobbegong sharks around. See my 2023 Raja Ampat liveaboard trip report for more about Dayang and the other sites in the area.

Manta ray, Manta Alley, Komodo
Manta ray at depth, Manta Alley, Komodo, 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

Manta Rays Are Everywhere In Indonesia

This list is just a brief rundown of some of the most famous spots to see manta rays in Indonesia – but really, they are everywhere. It’s not uncommon to see manta rays show up unexpectedly at other dive sites which can be an even more amazing experience than when you’re in the water hoping to see one. Conversely, sometimes manta rays are a no-show at the hotspots – there are obviously no guarantees. The great thing about diving in Indonesia is that there is so much incredible marine life that even if the mantas remain elusive you’ll still have a fantastic time.

Manta ray close up, Manta Alley, Komodo
Close Encounters, Manta Alley, Komodo, 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

Indonesia Liveaboard Deals

2024 Raja Ampat Last Minute Liveaboard Deals

2025 Raja Ampat Last Minute Liveaboard Deals

2025 Komodo Last Minute Liveaboard Deals

2024 Banda Sea Last Minute Liveaboard Deals

2025 Banda Sea Last Minute Liveaboard Deals



Diving And Travel Insurance

Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities including scuba diving, as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

Start Planning Your Indonesia Dive Trip Now!

:: Check the availability and pricing of liveaboards in Indonesia and book online.


:: Find the cheapest flights to Indonesia - one search will show you the prices and times from scores of airlines for your trip. A real timesaver. You'll typically need to fly into Jakarta and then get a connecting flight to Sorong (SOQ) for Raja Ampat, Labuan Bajo (LBJ) for Komodo, Biak for Cenderawasih Bay (BIK) - but check with your liveaboard operator on optimum flights


:: Make sure you don't forget to bring any of the essentials for your scuba diving trip with our comprehensive Liveaboard Packing List


:: World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world.


:: Find available places to stay in Indonesia on Booking.com - usually you can reserve a room with no upfront payment. Pay when you check out. Free cancellations too. The Jakarta Airport Hotel, located in Terminal 2, is convenient for a transit stayover.


:: Need inspiration? See our Best Places To Dive In Indonesia for ideas of where to go and what to do.


Dive Happy Podcast Newsletter

In-depth conversations about the best diving hotspots in Asia. Join the free Dive Happy podcast newsletter to get the next podcast episode sent to you direct:

Listen to previous Dive Happy podcast episodes.

My Recent Dive Trips

My Less Recent Dive Trips

Back In The Day Bragging Rights Dive Trips

Disclosure: Divehappy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and amazon.co.uk).

World Nomads provides travel insurance for travellers in over 100 countries. As an affiliate, we receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.