Maupiti · French Polynesia · Lagoon
Manta Ray cleaning station
Manta rays queuing at a coral head for cleaner wrasse
A shallow cleaning station inside the Maupiti lagoon, where manta rays come to a coral head every morning to be picked clean of parasites by small cleaner wrasse. Divers watch from a sandy bottom close by, making it an observation dive centred on the mantas that live in the lagoon all year.
Also known as Manta Ray site, Site des raies Manta, Manta Rays site.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Maupiti and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
The dive takes place at about 10 m inside the lagoon. Divers gather on a sandy bottom only a few metres from the coral head, keeping still while the manta rays circle in to have small cleaner wrasse remove their parasites. The mantas come in to be cleaned each morning.
Between visits from the mantas, the sand and coral around the station hold the lagoon's smaller life: pearl oysters, pipefish and bulldozer shrimp, and with luck nudibranchs, octopus, moray eels, leopard rays and leaf fish.
Marine life and season
- Manta rays
- Nudibranchs
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Maupiti: Mantas live in the lagoon all year; lagoon visibility is best from March to October, and June to December is the manta mating season.
Know before you go
- Current and visibility at the station are variable from one dive to the next.
Questions divers ask
When are manta rays at the Maupiti cleaning station?+
Mantas live in the lagoon all year and visit the coral head each morning. Lagoon visibility is best from March to October, and June to December is the mantas' mating season, when they perform courtship dances.
Sources
- Raies Manta - Maupiti Diving — Maupiti Diving
- Diving in Maupiti — Tahiti Tourisme
- Maupiti Diving - FAQ — Maupiti Diving
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