New Caledonia · France · Drift · Channel & pass
Boulari Plateau Manta
A manta cleaning station on a 13 m plateau in the Boulari pass
Area photo: Jean Rerêve · CC BY-SA 4.0
A plateau at 13 m where the barrier reef runs out into the Boulari pass, dived as a drift in a current that runs strong. The reason to come is the cleaning station on the plateau: this is the spot in the pass where manta rays come to be cleaned, so the dive is about getting onto the right piece of reef and staying there.
Where it is and how deep
22.4949° S, 166.4411° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The plateau sits at 13 m on the extension of the barrier into the Boulari pass, which keeps the whole dive shallow — the difficulty here is water movement, not depth. The current runs strong, so the entry is the part to get right: down onto the plateau quickly and then settle rather than swim, because trying to make ground against the flow will burn the gas and the dive with it.
Once you are on the plateau the dive becomes a waiting game. There is a cleaning station here and mantas come to it, so the sensible approach is to put yourself low and out of the way and let the animals work the station on their own terms. Keep clear of the cleaning area, stay flat against the reef rather than hovering above it, and let the current carry you off the plateau when the dive is done.
Marine life and season
- Manta rays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good |
Season follows New Caledonia: Sep–Dec is warmest and clearest before the wet season; Jan–Mar is cyclone season, and winter water drops to about 21°C.
Know before you go
- The current runs strong through the pass, so descents are fast and timed — miss the plateau and you are drifting past it with no realistic way back.
- It is a drift in a tidal pass with no fixed exit: carry a surface marker, deploy it before you surface and stay as a group for the pick-up.
Questions divers ask
Can you see manta rays at Boulari Plateau?+
The site is built around a manta cleaning station on the 13 m plateau, which is what makes it the place in the Boulari pass to look for them. Nothing is guaranteed, and the dive is a drift onto the plateau in a strong current.
Sources
- Boulari Plateau Manta — SSI/Scubago
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