Meemu Atoll · Maldives · Reef · Drift · Sand slope
Mantas and More
Manta cleaning stations at 10–15 m, with 8–9 mantas at once on a good day
Area photo: Sutirtha Das wiki · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mantas and More is a coral slope east of Muli island where manta rays come in to be cleaned at stations between 10 and 15 m. Below the stations the slope runs on to 30 m through coral formations, and the dive is a drift on a changeable current past Napoleon wrasse, turtles, shoals of jacks, barracuda, tuna and grey and whitetip reef sharks.
Where it is and how deep
2.9269° N, 73.5899° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive starts on the upper slope, where the cleaning stations sit between 10 and 15 m. This is the part of the site to spend time on: settle low beside the coral and wait, because the mantas work the stations rather than passing through. Scubago gives the manta season as December to May and notes adults with their offspring at the stations; Dive The World describes 8–9 mantas at a time swooping in from the blue, with mobula and eagle rays alongside them.
From 15 m the slope eases down to 30 m through coral formations, and the drift takes over. The current here is changeable, so the guide reads it on the day and the group moves with it along the coral walls. Lobsters live in the cracks of those walls, Napoleon wrasse and turtles feed on the coral, and large shoals of jacks hold in the current while barracuda hang around them in numbers.
Out in the blue beyond the slope, tuna hunt along the reef, and Dive The World describes loads of grey and whitetip reef sharks with them. The dive finishes by working back up the slope to the cleaning-station depth, which doubles as the shallow stop before the ascent.
Marine life and season
- Manta rays
- Mobula rays
- Eagle rays
- Napoleon wrasse
- Sea turtles
- Trevally & jacks
- Barracuda
- Tuna
- Reef sharks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
Season follows Meemu Atoll: Calmest seas and clearest water on the north-east monsoon, Nov–Apr. Sources disagree on manta timing at Mantas and More (Dec–May versus May–Dec), so do not plan a trip around it.
Know before you go
- The current is changeable, so the drift direction can differ from the briefing; stay with the guide and carry a surface marker for the boat.
- Mantas leave a cleaning station when divers crowd it; stay low and to the side of the station and let the animals come in.
Questions divers ask
When can you see mantas at Mantas and More?+
Scubago gives the manta season as December to May, when mantas and their offspring use the cleaning stations at 10–15 m. Outside those months the coral slope, jacks, barracuda and reef sharks are still the dive.
How deep is Mantas and More?+
The cleaning stations are at 10–15 m and the coral slope below them runs from 15 to 30 m.
Sources
- Mantas and More — Scubago
- Meemu Atoll dive sites — Dive The World
More dive sites in Meemu Atoll
Pinnacle
A soft-coral plateau at 10–15 m and caverns down to 30 m on one thila
Wall
Coral walls to 35 m turning into a sheer drop to the blue, cut with overhangs
Pinnacle
A 4 m coral top, soft coral at 15–25 m and almost no current
Channel & pass
Rays and sharks on the descent to 30 m, then a soft-coral overhang on the drift
Coral garden
Soft, leather and fan corals with sponges at 15–25 m, and no current
Wreck
A 30 m wooden dhoni on the sand at 20–33 m, open enough to enter
Reef
Grey reef sharks and silvertips resting on the slope at 15–25 m
Cave & cavern
A cavern about 10 m high running from 15 to 30 m
Similar dives elsewhere
One of the few places whale sharks stay all year
Grey reef sharks, nurse sharks and eagle rays on a current-swept slope
Violet and blue corals on the site's main bommie
A brief, powerful drift where threshers and hammerheads come out of the blue