Where can I snorkel with Manta Rays?

Manta rays are one of the most graceful and majestic creatures in the ocean, and if you wanna see one up close you’ve gotta know where to go. Mantas are known to congregate around cleaning stations, where schools of fish feed off the debris on their skin, or feeding stations where you can find scores of plankton.

If you want to snorkel with a manta ray, there are many places around the world where you can have your very own personal encounter with one. Here are the best places in the world to snorkel with manta rays, for beginner snorkels all the way to die-hard adventurers!

Snorkelling with manta rays in Australia

Great Barrier Reef

Lady Elliot Island

• Described as ‘Home of the Manta’, this is the best spot to snorkel with manta rays in Australia. You’ll find mantas here all year round, with the population peaking between May and August.

North Stradbroke Island, Great Barrier Reef

• The warmer months of October to March are the best times to snorkel with manta rays here. You’ll see congregations of giant manta rays cleaning.

Heron Island

• The shallow waters surrounding Heron Island are crawling with sea life, and manta ray sightings are common in the cooler months.

Whitsundays

Hook Island

• Snorkel around the Pinnacles or the aptly named Manta Ray Bay, and if you’re here during winter then you’re guaranteed to be swimming with manta rays.

Bait Reef

• You can snorkel with manta rays at two spots here. Stepping Stones is teeming with manta rays and Manta Ray Drop-Off is home to huge populations but prone to a current. The best time to spot manta rays here is from May to September.

Western Australia

Coral Bay, Coral Coast

• There are over 600 manta rays feeding and cleaning along this part of the Ningaloo Reef, and lots of manta ray snorkeling tours to show you the best spots to find them. If you go between June and November you might even spot whale sharks here! 

Snorkelling with manta rays in Bali

Nusa Penida

Manta Bay

• Lots of tour companies will advertise Manta Bay as being in Nusa Lembongan, but don’t be mistaken. Nusa Penida is where they’ll be taking you every time, and Manta Bay is Bali’s best destination for snorkeling with giant manta rays. You can find mantas swimming all year round in the shallow waters here, feeding on the scores of plankton in the area. The best time to visit is in the morning before it gets super crowded.

Manta Point

• Surrounded by high cliffs with a strong current and rough ocean conditions, this is a manta ray cleaning station where you can see the gentle giants resting in 4 – 6 metre deep water while being cleaned by smaller fish. Due to the rough conditions this destination might be best for advanced snorkelers or divers.

Crystal Bay

• Another spot in Nusa Penida where you can have the chance to snorkel with mantas, we’re only putting this one on the list because it’s popular with bout tours. Most manta snorkeling tours in Bali will take you to these 3 destinations in Nusa Penida, giving you the chance to swim with mantas in all three. That said, Manta Bay is definitely the highlight!

Snorkeling with manta rays in Brazil

Fernando do Noronha

• You can snorkel with manta rays in this world-class diving island in Brazil. This is for the seriously adventurous as the island is remote, but you’ll be snorkeling in a beautiful reef with manta rays and lots of marine life, as well as the world’s largest spinner dolphin colony. Visibility here is over 50 metres!

Snorkeling with manta rays in Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Catalina Islands

• These islands are home to a huge population of giant manta rays with wingspans of up to 7 metres. The best time to snorkel with manta rays is from November to May, when numbers are at their peak and visibility is best. Hit up Tamarindo Beach for your best bet to see mantas, and if you come between January and March this area will be teeming with giant mantas.

Snorkeling with manta rays in Fiji

Mantaray Island

• A protected sanctuary and marine park, this is the best place in Fiji to snorkel with manta rays. They feed in huge numbers on a daily basis between May and October, and you’ll lots of manta ray tours and operators here that take you directly to where they’ve been spotted.

Barefoot Island

• During the months of May through to October, schools of massive manta rays float through the Manta Ray Passage between Nanuya Balavu and Drawaqa Islands. If you come during this time, you’ll see them passing through almost daily as they feed on plankton.

Naviti Island

• The southern end of Naviti Island is another spot where you can snorkel with the manta rays gliding through the Manta Ray Passage. They’re here almost daily between May and October, and there’s even a drum that sounds every time one has been spotted.

Snorkeling with manta rays in Florida Keys

Islamorada

• While this isn’t a hugely popular manta ray gathering spot, people often spot mantas while snorkeling the waters of Islamorada. Keep your eyes peeled!

Key Largo

• Manta rays have been spotted while snorkeling here, particularly in the areas around John Pennekamp State Park.

Key West

• The manta ray population here isn’t big enough that you can guarantee a sighting, but if you’re lucky you might be able to see manta rays while snorkeling around Dry Tortugas National Park. It’s been known to happen!

Looe Key

• Looe Key is a complete reef ecosystem with huge varieties of tropical marine species. If you’re lucky you’ll spot manta rays while snorkeling here, and maybe even eagle rays or whale sharks.

Snorkeling with manta rays in Hawaii