Raja Ampat · Indonesia · Reef
Manta Ridge
Hook into the ridge and let the mantas come to you
Area photo: Buena Ventura · CC BY 3.0
Manta Ridge is the hook-in manta site of the Dampier Strait, on the ridge beside Manta Sandy. Where Manta Sandy is a still sandy plateau, this one runs current: divers hook into the seabed rather than swim, and in season the reef mantas come to the ridge and hold in the flow above them. There is nothing subtle about the dive - get the hook set, get low, and watch.
Where it is and how deep
0.5580° S, 130.5351° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Manta Ridge sits next to Manta Sandy in the Dampier Strait, and the difference between the two sites is the water. Currents here can be strong - strong enough that divers need to hook into the seabed to avoid being swept off the ridge - so the dive is set up as a hook-in from the start, with everyone tucked in low behind the reef edge rather than finning around the site.
In season, typically November to April, there is a good chance the mantas come up onto the ridge and circle around the hooked divers. Because you are anchored rather than swimming, the rays decide the distance, and they will often work the flow directly above the line of divers. When the tide slackens the hold is easy; when it runs, the whole dive is about staying put and not losing the hook.
Marine life and season
- Manta rays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Raja Ampat: October to April is the drier stretch and November to April the manta season at Manta Ridge; July to mid-September can bring strong winds and rough seas.
Know before you go
- Current on the ridge runs strong enough to sweep a diver off the site, so a reef hook is required kit and needs to be set before you leave the shelter of the reef edge.
Dive videos
Manta Ridge Raja Ampat · Life's too Short on YouTube
Questions divers ask
When is manta season at Manta Ridge?+
Manta season here typically runs from November to April, when there is a good chance of rays coming in and circling the hooked divers. Outside that window the ridge still runs current, but the mantas are less dependable.
Sources
- Manta Ridge Dive Site | PADI — PADI
- Raja Ampat diving guide — Divezone
In The Logbook
- Where to dive with manta rays, month by monthBig animals · 8 min read
More dive sites in Raja Ampat
Reef
Reef hook dive at 10-12 m in very strong current
Schooling jacks hunting silversides under the village jetty
Overhang at 28-35 m with the wall dropping past 50
Reef
Five Rocks: a repeat-request reef to around 24 m
House reef from the jetty at 2 m down to 20 m
Pinnacle
Cleaning stations on the summit, mantas on the flanks in season
Fish fill the water before your BCD is finished deflating
Wall
A drift from schooling fish on the point to macro on the slope
Similar dives elsewhere
Four hectares of shallow cleaning station in the pass
A manta cleaning station in 15 metres under limestone cliffs
Rock cover that puts you close to passing mantas
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