North Stradbroke Island · Australia · Reef · Pelagic & blue water
Manta Bommie
Shallow cleaning stations that mantas work from October to April
Area photo: Tanya Dedyukhina · CC BY 3.0
Manta Bommie is a group of three rock outcrops a short boat ride from Point Lookout, carrying cleaning stations on shallow bommies between 5 and 15 m. Migrating manta rays stop at those stations through the summer months, October to April, and the rest of the year the outcrops hold leopard sharks, guitarfish and large stingrays. The area is prone to current and swell, so the dive is not always the gentle one its depth suggests.
Also known as The Group.
Where it is and how deep
27.4238° S, 153.5479° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The site is three rock outcrops known collectively as The Group, in 5 to 15 m of water a short boat ride from Point Lookout. The cleaning stations sit on top of the shallow bommies, so the whole dive runs above 15 m and there is no deep section to budget for. From October to April migrating manta rays stop off at those stations, and the shallow profile means a group can stay down and wait rather than make one pass and go up.
Outside that window the outcrops themselves are the dive: large numbers of leopard sharks and guitarfish lie around them, several species of large stingray work the same ground, and octopus hide in the rocks. Conditions decide how the dive feels. The area is prone to current and swell, and on a moving day the dive centre calls it a challenging dive rather than the easy shallow one the depth range suggests.
Marine life and season
- Manta rays
- Stingrays
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows North Stradbroke Island: Mantas work the Manta Bommie cleaning stations Oct–Apr; grey nurse sharks and humpbacks arrive Jun–Oct, when visibility is also at its best. Boats run Friday to Tuesday.
Know before you go
- The area is prone to current and swell, which the dive centre says can make this a challenging dive despite the 15 m maximum.
Questions divers ask
When can you see mantas at Manta Bommie?+
Migrating manta rays visit the cleaning stations on the shallow bommies in the summer months, October to April. Outside that window the site still holds leopard sharks, guitarfish, several species of large stingray and octopus in the rocks.
Sources
- Dive Sites — Manta Lodge & Scuba Centre — Manta Lodge & Scuba Centre
- Manta Bommie — Scubago
More dive sites in North Stradbroke Island
Shore dive timed for slack water at the top of the tide
Wall
Near-vertical walls dived four or five times a year
Deep reef at 28 to 45 m with resident bull sharks
Flat Rock's shallow corner, 4 to 18 m over juvenile fish
Winter sand channel where grey nurse sharks gather
Small cave at 10 m on Flat Rock's northern side
Reef
Decompression depths, strong current, whaler sharks
Reef
The area's shelter dive, 800 m off Home Beach
Similar dives elsewhere
Giant manta rays over an offshore bank, 16 m at its deepest
Nature-reserve island with wobbegongs in the rocks and stingrays on the sand
Eagle rays over the two narrow gutters at the southern tip
Grey nurse sharks on the rock from July to October