A manta ray cleaning station off Kabira-Ishizaki on Ishigaki's northwest coast, and one of the island's most popular dive sites. It covers a wide band of depth, from about 5 metres down to 25, and the boat access is described as easy, which is why shops are willing to run it with newly certified divers.
Also known as Manta City Point.
Where it is and how deep
24.4882° N, 124.1186° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Manta City is a cleaning station rather than a reef to swim along, so the dive is built around one piece of ground and the animals that come to it. Depths across the site run from about 5 metres to 25, which gives the guide room to set the group at whatever level the rays are working on the day and to keep everyone clear of the station itself.
The odds of an encounter are high enough that Ishigaki shops put beginners on this site, and the shallow half of the depth range keeps bottom times long. Beyond that, little is published about the dive: current strength and visibility for this particular station are not documented, so take the area figures as a starting point and the morning briefing as the real answer.
Marine life and season
- Manta rays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Fair |
Season follows Ishigaki: Manta sightings peak April-November; typhoon season (Jul-Sep) and winter winds disrupt boat schedules.
Photos from Manta City
Syced · CC0
Dive videos
Ishigaki Island (Japan) - Diving at Manta City · Christian Wagner on YouTube
GIANT MANTA RAY INVASION!!! Ishigaki Island Diving. Point: Manta City · yuchos diving on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Can beginners dive Manta City?+
Dive operators describe the site as suitable even for beginners, helped by easy boat access and a profile that starts at around 5 metres. The deeper part of the site reaches 25 metres, past an Open Water limit, so the guide sets the depth for the group.
Sources
- Manta City Point — Scubago
Photo credits
- Turquoise bay with scattered rocky outcrops seen from Kabiraishi-zaki point by Syced, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Wide view of the reef flat and offshore islands from a coastal overlook near the point by Syced, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Ishigaki
One of the world's highest manta encounter rates, in 10 to 20 m.
Reef
A 5 m coral shelf dropping to three coral heads on sand at 20 to 25 m.
Similar dives elsewhere
Reef
Abeshita
Miyakejima · Japan
Lava arch on the south coast, entered from the beach
Reef
Aka-Iwa
Sado Island · Japan
Resident kobudai wrasse, one of them known as Kojiro, that swim up to divers on entry
Reef
Akinohama
Izu Ōshima · Japan
Endemic Japanese pygmy seahorses off a lava-jetty shore entry
Squid, octopus and rockfish over volcanic rock and kelp