Manta Point

Undoubtedly the most famous place for scuba diving in North Male Atoll, Maldives is Manta Point on the southeast of the atoll.

It is a sort of Spa for the manta rays, a cleaning station where fishes like wrasses, remoras and other cleaner fishes “pamper” them.

The “cleaning station” is a coral rise starting at 12 meters of depth and has a diameter of a few meters at the top. After this height the coral walls gently slope down till around 30 meters deep. The mantas swim around this region ignoring the cleaner fishes, while the cleaner fishes do their jobs. A “cleaning session” can last over 30 minutes while the mantas are swimming in circles.

The manta ray is one of the biggest attractions for scuba divers visiting the Maldives. The Manta point is considered as one of the “Maldives Big Five”. Scuba diving or snorkeling with manta ray Maldives is truly an exhilarating experience. The Maldives manta ray is the same species of manta as all other manta rays in the world, despite the fact that people used to believe there were various species. Manta rays can reach weights of up to 5,000 pounds and can grow to have a wingspan of 25 feet. The Maldives is one of the best places in the world for manta ray diving. Thousands of scuba divers come to the islands every year as manta ray sittings are assured and guaranteed.

 The mantas gather to have the plankton removed from their grills by smaller fish at one of the many manta ray cleaning station in Maldives. These are the best places to dive with manta rays in Maldives.

The Dhigu Thila cleaning station in the South Male Atoll is one of the best known cleaning stations. At this cleaning station, divers can generally find a good place to rest like the seabed as long as there’s no coral. These places offer a great view for watching the manta rays go through their cleaning ritual while you  relax comfortably.

Divers can enjoy the opportunity of diving with a manta ray in Maldives throughout the year, but the areas frequented by the manta rays vary with the seasons. While little is known about manta ray migration, we know that during the Northeast Monsoon season, manta ray diving Maldives is best on the western side of the atolls, whereas during the Southeast Monsoon season, Maldives manta ray season is better on the eastern side of the atolls.

Lancan Manta Point in the area of Male Atoll is the most famous Manta Point of the Maldives. Mostly all of the diving Centers will offer trips there provided the sea is calm. At Lancan Finolhu you can get lucky with Mantas nearly all year around, but you have to be close to Male. If you are spending your holiday in the Northern islands of North Male Atoll or on the other hand in some southern island of the South Male Atoll, the trips can be seasonal.

Not too long ago scientists decided that there are actually two different types of Manta Bisostris (that’s how our desired animal is known technically). There is the one who lives close to the reefs (maximum width up to 5 meters) and there is the oceanic one (up to 7 meters in width). People do say that there is a chance of seeing both types in the Maldives, but not in Lancan.

There are plenty of options to choose from for diving holiday in Maldives manta ray. Experienced scuba divers can enjoy a live aboard diving holiday with plenty of Maldives manta ray dives, whereas amateurs or beginners are recommended to go manta ray snorkeling Maldives. 

Whatever you choice may be, the Maldives is one of the best places in the world to see these amazing giant manta ray Maldives. This is a experience that you will cherish for your entire life. It gives you the opportunity to learn about the manta ray’s social behaviors and lifestyle. You can refer to AntilogVacations for further information regarding holidays in Maldives.