There are moments underwater that leave divers with more questions than answers.
Imagine you’re diving in Komodo and you notice several manta rays swimming together. One animal leads while the others follow closely behind. They seem focused, constantly adjusting their speed and direction together. At first glance, it almost looks choreographed.
Back on the boat, somebody eventually asks the same question.
“What were they doing?”
The answer is actually quite simple.
You were probably watching manta ray courtship or also known as manta mating train.
While it may look like a random gathering, researchers from organisations such as the Marine Megafauna Foundation and Manta Trust have shown that this behavior follows a surprisingly structured process. What divers often call a “manta train” is part of the way these animals find and select a mate.
Everything starts with a female.
As she swims, one male may begin following her. Soon, several more may join in, creating a line of manta rays swimming closely behind one another. Scientists refer to this as a mating train.
What is interesting is that the female is not simply being chased. In fact, she controls the encounter.
Researchers have documented females changing direction, accelerating, descending, and making sudden turns while the males attempt to maintain their position. Over time, some individuals drop away while others remain.
Rather than a race, it is more like a test of endurance.
The female is effectively deciding which males are fit enough to continue.
Most divers are lucky enough to witness the beginning of the story. However, very few get to see the end — the happy ending…
According to observations made by manta researchers, once only one male remains, he attempts to grasp the female’s left pectoral fin with his mouth — that’s the only time the manta’s teeth come in use as they’re filter feeders. The pair rotate belly-to-belly and mating takes place.
Surprisingly, after hours of courtship, the actual mating event lasts only a few seconds.
Soon afterwards, the pair separate and disappear back into the blue.
Which explains why most people see courtship trains, but very rarely witness mating itself.
Manta rays do not perform these behaviours everywhere.
Courtship and reproduction require healthy populations, abundant food, and environments where the animals can move with minimal disturbance.
This is one of the reasons marine protected areas are so important.
Protected regions like Komodo National Park provide the conditions that allow manta rays to feed, migrate, and reproduce. But protection alone is not enough. Understanding these animals is equally important.
Organisations such as Marine Megafauna Foundation Indonesia have spent years identifying individual manta rays, tracking their movements, and studying their behaviour. Thanks to this work, scientists now understand much more about how manta populations use Indonesian waters.
And perhaps most importantly, this research helps managers and conservation groups make better decisions to ensure these populations remain healthy for generations to come.
Watching manta ray courtship is fascinating, but it is also important to remember that we are observing a natural behaviour.
The best approach is usually the simplest one.
Stay calm. Maintain good buoyancy. Avoid chasing the animals or positioning yourself in their path.
Most of the time, the less we interfere, the more natural the encounter becomes.
And understanding what is happening often makes the experience even more rewarding.
If the opportunity presents itself, take ID shots of manta belly patterns and upload the data to a database like MantaMatcher as that will help scientists to understand their movement and behavior better to be able to protect them more effectively.
Despite decades of research, manta rays continue to surprise scientists.
Many questions remain unanswered. Researchers are still studying migration patterns, nursery areas, social interactions, and even how individuals recognize one another.
Projects led by the Manta Trust and Marine Megafauna Foundation Indonesia have identified thousands of individual manta rays by the unique spot patterns on their bellies, allowing scientists to follow the lives of animals over many years.
And that raises another fascinating question.
If we can recognize individual mantas and understand how they reproduce, where do the young spend their first years?
Where are the nursery grounds?
How far do these animals travel?
And how do they navigate across such enormous areas of ocean?
Those questions deserve an article of their own.
A manta train is a group of male manta rays following a female during courtship.
Courtship can last several hours, although mating itself lasts only seconds.
Yes. Current research suggests that females play an active role in mate selection.
It is possible, but extremely rare. Most divers observe courtship behaviour rather than mating itself.
Protected areas provide safe environments that support feeding, movement, and reproduction.
Several organisations do, including Marine Megafauna Foundation Indonesia and the Manta Trust.
Let this World Oceans Day remind us that the ocean is not separate from us but has always flowed through us, in everything we do and consume. Discover how small daily actions, responsible diving, and marine conservation efforts by the Scuba Junkie family help protect our blue planet.
The first time many of us truly understand the ocean is not from a documentary or a photograph. It happens quietly. Sometimes underwater, where the sound of the world disappears and all we hear is our own breathing. Sometimes standing barefoot on a beach at sunrise, watching waves arrive from places we will never see.
And sometimes, it happens when we lock eyes with a sea turtle gliding through coral reefs older than human history itself.
That moment changes people.
This is why World Oceans Day matters so deeply to us at Scuba Junkie. Not because it is just another date on the calendar, but because it reminds us that the ocean is not somewhere far away. It is part of every breath we take, every meal we eat, every climate system that keeps our planet alive.
The ocean gives us life long before we ever step into it.
Yet today, it needs our active actions to protect it more than ever. So, let’s reimagine our relationship to the ocean.
We often speak about “saving the ocean” as though it were separate from humanity. But the truth is simpler and more uncomfortable than that. If the ocean suffers, we suffer too.
The ocean is one of Earth’s greatest oxygen producers and the foundation of our planetary life support system. It regulates our climate, feeds over 3 billion people, supports livelihoods, and protects biodiversity on a scale we are only beginning to understand.
And still, every year, millions of tonnes of plastic enter marine ecosystems. Coral reefs are bleaching under rising temperatures. Sea turtles mistake floating plastic bags for jellyfish. Ghost nets continue drifting silently through the sea, trapping marine life long after they were abandoned.
For many people, these problems feel distant. Easy to ignore.
That is part of the challenge.
We rarely protect what we do not feel connected to.
At Scuba Junkie, we have seen this transformation happen thousands of times. Someone arrives simply wanting a holiday or a dive certification. Then they descend beneath the surface for the first time and suddenly the ocean becomes personal.
A turtle is no longer just “marine life.”
A reef is no longer just “nature.”
The ocean becomes a living world they care about deeply.
And once people care, they begin to protect.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed when talking about protecting and preserving the ocean. Climate change, pollution, overfishing, habitat destruction… the list can feel endless.
But not all hope is lost.
In fact, one of the most beautiful things we witness every day is the incredible resilience of the ocean when people choose to care for it.
Across the Scuba Junkie family, conservation is not treated as a side project. It is part of daily life — from the small details, like providing guests with locally sourced eco-friendly toiletries across all our operations to weekly beach and underwater cleanups to the larger programs that define how we dive, travel, educate, and operate.
Through Scuba Junkie SEAS, our conservation arm founded in 2009, marine conservation has become deeply woven into everything we do. In Mabul, sea turtle nests are protected through hatchery programs that have already helped release more than 17,000 hatchlings back into the ocean. In collaboration with the Sabah Wildlife Department, injured turtles have been rehabilitated and returned to the wild through the Mabul Turtle Rehabilitation Centre.
Coral restoration projects, marine debris initiatives, shark conservation efforts, and educational outreach efforts all work toward the same idea:
Protecting the ocean starts with people.
Not perfect people.
Not scientists only.
Just people willing to care.
This is an important conversation, and one we believe should be honest.
Yes, diving can damage reefs — if done irresponsibly. Poor buoyancy, touching marine life, littering, or overcrowding fragile ecosystems can all have negative impacts.
But when done responsibly, diving and other marine activities can also become one of conservation’s strongest allies.
At Scuba Junkie, responsible dive practices are central to how we operate. Environmental briefings, following the Green Fins code of conduct, reef-safe behaviors, and conservation education are integrated into the diving experience because we believe tourism should protect the places it depends on.
And perhaps even more importantly, diving creates emotional connection.
Someone who has watched a shark glide through blue water is far more likely to support shark conservation. Someone who has seen coral bleaching with their own eyes understands climate change differently. Someone who has floated beside a turtle often leaves carrying a sense of responsibility that lasts years beyond the trip itself.
The ocean stops being abstract.
It becomes real.
One of the biggest misconceptions about marine conservation is believing only coastal communities or divers can make a difference. But the ocean connects all of us and our actions.
The plastic bottle thrown away inland can still reach the sea through rivers and drainage systems. The seafood choices we make influence the fishing industry. The products we buy, the waste we create, the businesses we support — all of these decisions ripple outward and can make a real difference.
Being an ocean ambassador does not require living close to the ocean. It begins with awareness. Sometimes the smallest actions matter more than we realize:
Using reusable bottles and bags to reduce unnecessary plastic consumption.
Supporting sustainable tourism operators such as Green Fins Members.
Learning and sharing about marine ecosystems.
Using non-toxic, reef-safe sunscreens.
Use local and public transportation when possible.
Supporting conservation organizations in-person or financially.
Sharing educational content instead of ignoring it.
Voting for candidates that prioritize climate action.
Even conversations matter. Because awareness spreads. And when enough people care, that’s when systems begin to change.
The truth is that conservation is rarely about one dramatic action. It is usually thousands of small consistent efforts carried out by ordinary people.
At Scuba Junkie, we have watched travelers join reef and beach cleanups during their holidays and leave transformed by the experience. We have seen local communities become deeply involved in turtle protection initiatives. We have watched children release hatchlings into the sea and understand, perhaps for the first time, that nature’s future depends on them.
For those who have the time and would like to be more hands-on, participating in reef and beach cleanups, marine life monitoring, or marine conservation workshops can make a direct difference.
For those who are limited on time and resources, your support can still be powerful. Scuba Junkie SEAS runs programs such as turtle adoption initiatives connected to the hatchery and rehabilitation work in Mabul. Supporting these projects helps fund nest protection, rehabilitation efforts, monitoring, education, and conservation outreach. Many vital marine conservation organisations remain underfunded, any support you can offer makes a difference.
Sometimes helping the ocean means getting in the water.
Sometimes it means using your voice or wallet.
Both matter.
There is a tendency in environmental conversations to focus only on loss. But the ocean is still full of life worth fighting for.
While individual actions matter deeply, we can’t ignore that the future of the ocean also depends on larger decisions being made at government and industry levels. Marine protected areas, stronger regulations against pollution, sustainable fishing policies, and meaningful climate action all play a critical role in protecting marine ecosystems for future generations.
Sometimes helping the ocean means carrying a reusable bottle or joining a beach cleanup. Sometimes it means signing petitions, supporting environmental organizations, voting for leaders who prioritize conservation, or using our voices to demand stronger protection for our seas.
Real change happens when personal responsibility and collective action work together — whether that means carrying a reusable bottle, signing a petition, or voting for leaders who prioritize our seas.
And despite the challenges, hope is not lost.
There are still healthy reefs bursting with color.
There are still turtles returning to the nest.
There are still communities choosing conservation over exploitation.
There are still people willing to dedicate their lives to protecting marine ecosystems.
World Oceans Day is celebrated every year on June 8th to raise awareness about the importance of the ocean and encourage global action to protect marine ecosystems.
The ocean is one of Earth’s greatest oxygen producers, regulates the climate, supports biodiversity, provides food, and sustains billions of livelihoods worldwide.
Conservation is embedded into everything we do at Scuba Junkie. As a Green Fins Member, we follow a strict code of conduct to minimize our environmental impact across all operations. Through Scuba Junkie SEAS, our dedicated conservation arm, this commitment extends further into turtle conservation, coral restoration, marine debris cleanups, shark conservation, and community outreach programs.
Yes. Responsible diving practices such as good buoyancy control, avoiding contact with marine life, using reef-safe products, and supporting eco-conscious operators can minimize environmental impact and promote conservation awareness.
Reducing plastic use, supporting conservation projects, making sustainable purchasing choices, spreading awareness, and donating to marine conservation initiatives can all help protect the ocean from anywhere in the world.
The turtle adoption initiatives supported by Scuba Junkie SEAS help fund sea turtle conservation efforts including hatchery protection, rehabilitation, monitoring, and conservation education programs in Mabul.
The ocean does not ask for perfection from us.
Only respect.
Every refillable bottle, every cleanup, every conversation, every responsible dive, every protected reef, every rescued turtle — it all matters.
And perhaps the most powerful thing we can do is inspire others to care too.
Because the moment people fall in love with the ocean, they begin to fight for its future.
Few experiences compare to drifting effortlessly through crystal-clear water while sharks glide calmly past you. Sharks in Komodo National Park are not only one of the region’s greatest underwater highlights, but also a powerful reminder of why healthy oceans matter. For divers exploring Indonesia aboard a liveaboard like the KLM Eliya, encounters with sharks are often profound, inspiring, and unforgettable.
Komodo National Park is famous for its dramatic landscapes above water, but beneath the surface lies one of the richest marine ecosystems on Earth. Strong currents, thriving coral reefs, and protected waters create the perfect conditions for sharks to flourish — and where sharks thrive, the ocean is doing well.
Sharks play a critical role in maintaining balance in marine ecosystems. As apex predators, they regulate fish populations, prevent overgrazing of coral reefs, and help maintain biodiversity.
Without sharks:
In Komodo, the presence of sharks is a sign of resilience. These waters are protected, carefully managed, and respected by local communities and dive operators — allowing marine life to thrive naturally.
Divers exploring sharks in Komodo National Park are often surprised by both the diversity and frequency of encounters. Depending on conditions and dive sites, you may see:
These encounters are calm, natural, and awe-inspiring — offering a rare opportunity to observe sharks behaving exactly as they should: confident, curious, and completely uninterested in humans.
Komodo’s unique geography creates strong currents that bring nutrient-rich water to the reefs. This fuels plankton growth, attracts smaller fish, and in turn supports larger predators like sharks.
Key reasons Komodo stands out:
For divers, this means thrilling drifts, vibrant marine life, and frequent shark encounters — all in one destination.
A liveaboard is the best way to fully experience Komodo’s remote dive sites, and the KLM Eliya offers an experience that blends comfort, style, and adventure.
Unlike day trips, a liveaboard allows you to:
The rhythm of liveaboard diving creates space for meaningful encounters — not rushed moments, but real connections with the underwater world.
The KLM Eliya is designed for divers who appreciate both adventure and comfort. With spacious decks, thoughtfully designed cabins, and attentive service, the experience feels personal and relaxed — without sacrificing authenticity.
After an exhilarating dive with sharks, you can unwind on deck, enjoy freshly prepared meals, and watch Komodo’s dramatic landscapes pass by. It’s a gentle luxury that enhances, rather than distracts from, the natural beauty around you.
At Scuba Junkie Liveaboard, shark encounters are always conducted responsibly. Respectful diving ensures both diver safety and animal well-being.
Best practices include:
These simple behaviors allow sharks to remain relaxed, resulting in more natural and rewarding encounters.
Responsible dive tourism plays a vital role in protecting sharks. By choosing ethical operators and protected destinations like Komodo, divers help demonstrate that live sharks are worth far more alive than fished.
Shark-focused tourism:
Every dive becomes part of a bigger story — one where exploration and protection go hand in hand.
No. Sharks in Komodo are accustomed to divers and rarely show aggressive behavior. Calm, respectful diving ensures safe encounters.
Sharks can be seen year-round, but sightings are especially common during periods of stronger currents.
Some sites require experience due to currents, but Scuba Junkie offers guidance to match dives with skill levels.
Sharks regulate fish populations, which helps prevent coral overgrowth and reef degradation.
Yes. Liveaboards provide access to remote sites, flexible schedules, and a more immersive experience.
Through responsible diving practices, education, and support for marine protection initiatives.
Learn more about shark conservation at https://www.sharktrust.org
Encountering sharks in Komodo National Park is more than a thrilling dive — it’s a reminder of how powerful and delicate ocean ecosystems are. Aboard the KLM Eliya, divers don’t just visit Komodo; they become part of it.
With thoughtful luxury, responsible practices, and world-class diving, Scuba Junkie Liveaboard offers an experience that inspires respect for the ocean — and the incredible sharks that call it home.
Let’s talk about Manta Rays in Komodo.
There are moments underwater that stay with you for life.
When a manta ray appears — wings spread, moving with effortless grace — everything slows down. The silence deepens. You forget the world above. These creatures don’t just swim. They fly.
To dive with a manta ray in Komodo is to witness something sacred.
It’s humbling. Magical. And increasingly, a privilege we might not always have.
As we mark Manta Day on September 17th, let’s dive into why these gentle giants matter — not just to divers, but to the planet. From the facts that make them extraordinary, to the dangers they face and the safe havens like Komodo, where they still thrive, this is a story worth sharing.
Manta rays feed on plankton — tiny organisms floating near the ocean’s surface. Using their large, gaping mouths and cephalic fins (those horn-like flaps), they filter hundreds of liters of water every hour, consuming microscopic algae and zooplankton.
This makes them key players in controlling plankton blooms, keeping ecosystems balanced and healthy — much like whales, turtles, or sharks do in other ocean layers.
They don’t eat fish. They don’t attack. They simply flow.
There are two main species of manta rays:
In Komodo, you can encounter both. And if you’re lucky, you might meet a melanistic (black) manta, whose inky body glides like a shadow through the sea. They’re rare, mysterious, and unforgettable.
Manta rays can live for up to 40 years, but they reproduce slowly — only one pup every few years. This makes their populations extremely vulnerable to overfishing and habitat loss.
Even small population declines can take decades to recover. And in many places, they’re not recovering at all.
While manta rays are beloved by divers, they face serious threats:
The IUCN lists both reef and oceanic mantas as vulnerable to extinction.
Thankfully, not all is lost. Some places — like Komodo National Park — are still safe havens for manta rays.
In 2014, Indonesia declared manta rays a protected species, making it illegal to catch or harm them. Komodo offers them abundant plankton, strong current systems, and protected cleaning stations where they return regularly.
Cleaning stations are coral outcrops where small fish like wrasses and butterflyfish clean parasites and dead skin from larger animals.
Manta rays return to these sites repeatedly — hovering calmly while cleaner fish do their job. For divers, this means predictable, respectful encounters with mantas that may last for minutes at a time.
In Komodo, top manta cleaning stations include:
These sites are carefully monitored and protected, allowing both mantas and marine life to thrive.
Look underneath a manta ray and you’ll see a constellation of black spots on their bellies — these are unique identifiers, like fingerprints.
Scientists use them to track individual rays over years, helping with population studies and migration patterns. Divers can even submit photos to conservation databases like MantaMatcher.org to contribute to global research.
A single live manta ray can generate over $1 million in tourism revenue during its lifetime, according to studies by Manta Trust. In contrast, one killed for its gill plates is worth less than $200.
Protecting mantas not only helps the reef — it helps communities. That’s why ecotourism-focused destinations like Komodo and Raja Ampat are crucial models for conservation.
With some of the largest brains of any fish, manta rays show signs of learning, memory, and even play. Some scientists believe they may have self-awareness, making them one of the most intelligent species in the ocean.
When a manta swims by and turns to look at you — make no mistake — they see you. And they remember.
To dive with manta rays in Komodo is to witness something ancient and free. It’s not just a “tick off the list.” It’s a reminder of what we stand to lose — and why we must protect it.
They don’t speak. But they tell us everything we need to know about the fragility and beauty of our blue planet.
Manta rays in Komodo represent more than a bucket list dive. They’re a symbol of harmony, of ocean health, and of what’s possible when we protect, not exploit.
Let’s make sure that future generations will still look up during a dive and feel the magic of a manta ray gliding past — just like we do today.
We’d love to hear your story — or help you plan your first one. Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
Komodo National Park sits in The Coral Triangle between the islands of Flores & Sumbawa in the Indonesian archipelago. The National Park is made up of 3 main islands – Komodo Island, Rinca Island and Padar Island as well as a number of smaller islands. This area is on the line of two continental plates and has been recognised by UNESCO as a “global conservation priority area” with unparalleled terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
The National Park covers nearly 2000 km2 with much of that being made up of the marine waters.
History of Komodo National Park
Komodo National Park was established in 1980 by the Indonesian Government as a sanctuary to protect the endangered Komodo Dragons. The Komodo Dragons or Varanus Komodoensis are the world’s largest lizard and are endemic to this area (can not be found anywhere else in the world!).
As part of your trip onboard KLM Eliya our Crew will take you to one of the Ranger Stations to give you the opportunity to spot these incredible beasts in their natural habitat.
In 1991, Komodo National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve. It is considered one of the world’s 25 biodiversity hotspots. A biodiversity hotspot is a region with significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened by human habitation.
Komodo National Park was initially protected because of the Komodo Dragons, but it was not long before people started to appreciate the shear beauty of what was under the surface of the ocean as well!
The Coral Triangle
Komodo National Park sits within the boundaries of The Coral Triangle. This is the world’s richest area for marine life. Often referred to as the ‘Amazon of the Ocean’ the Coral Triangle is home to over 6,000 fish species & 76% of the world’s coral species. 6 of the world’s 7 marine turtles are found here as well as an abundance of other popular marine animals such as mantas, sharks, molas, frogfish, blue ring octopus and much much more!
The Coral Triangle has 15 regionally endemic coral species (species found nowhere else in the world), and shares 41 regional endemic species within Asia.
This region covers a 6 million km2 area encompassing Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands.
The Impact of Water Movement
The Coral Triangle is hit by two nutrient rich currents – the North Equatorial Current and the South Equatorial Current. These feed the coral reefs and the thousands of marine animals that live here, from the tiniest creature to the largest animal.
Komodo National Park is widely considered to have some of the world’s most challenging diving due to the currents that we get here. The strong currents are caused by the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF).
Trade winds and ocean currents run in opposite directions here, so the Pacific Ocean, to north east of Indonesia, is 20 cm above average sea level, while the Indian Ocean, in the southwest, is 10 cm lower than the average sea level. This 30 cm difference results in a massive movement of water from the “higher” Pacific Ocean through the archipelago’s complex underwater topography out into the “lower” Indian Ocean.
All of this runs through the narrow passages between the islands of Bali & Lombok, Lombok & Sumbawa, Sumbawa & Flores.
If we narrow this further to the Komodo National Park we have:
This island top0graphy as well as the dramatic ocean floor of deep trenches and shallow banks result in, not just fantastically fun diving(!!), but a rich and diverse area that results in some of the very best coral coverage and marine life diversity that you will see anywhere in the world!
KLM Eliya offers 6 Day / 5 Night Trips in the Komodo National Park and our Dive Guides onboard have worked in the area for many years. So feel free to ask them lots of questions when you are onboard!
Manta Rays are majestical creatures that are on many divers’ bucket list! Here in Komodo the resident population sits at about 1200 identified individuals and scuba divers travel from all over the world to dive with these amazing animals. Manta etiquette and the right way to behave underwater is hugely important for all of us, as divers, to understand.
You may or may not know that individual mantas are identified by the pattern on their bellies! The belly spots on each manta are totally unique like the human fingerprint so each time a new manta is identified it is logged in the Marine Megafauna database which is why we can state with confidence there are over 1200 different individuals in Komodo National Park!
Why Komodo?
The fast currents and nutrient rich waters of Komodo help to keep our resident population happy and full! Mantas can be found at many of the dive sites in Komodo, but are most commonly found at Karang Makassar (a.k.a Manta Point), Mawan and Manta Alley. These dive sites in particular have Cleaning Stations that mantas enjoy to spend time at.
Manta Etiquette
Mantas are majestic, intelligent creatures and it is important that our interaction with them (as well as all forms of marine life) is as un-intrusive and respectful as possible!
Dive Guides will tell you during the dive briefings that it is important that we do not touch and do not chase the marine life. This goes for all creatures from the biggest manta to the smallest nudibranch.
Our interaction with mantas is often talked about and organisations such as the Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) offer specific guidance on how we should act while in the presence of these awesome animals.
Let’s take a look at some of the important points to remember below:
First of all what is a Cleaning Station?
Cleaning Stations are locations where different marine life will come to be cleaned by smaller creatures. Cleaning Stations can be found in both freshwater and marine environments and are used by a wide variety of animals.
Cleaning Stations are great examples of mutualism. This refers to a mutually beneficial ecological relationship between different creatures.
Mantas love Cleaning Stations!! They have often been shown to spend up to 8 hours per day cleaning and incredibly have also been shown to have favourite stations. Individuals have actually been recorded choosing one Cleaning Station over another!
As a manta approaches a Cleaning Station they slow their approach and will often look like they are “hovering” in one spot. Smaller creatures such as cleaner wrasse and butterfly fish will then approach the manta and help to clean the external surfaces by removing dead skin and and parasites they may find. As mentioned this process can sometimes last for hours and the manta will move in and out of the Cleaning Station in a loop pattern to make the most of the experience!
Cleaning Stations are an integral part of a manta’s life cycle and play a huge role in ensuring their health and wellbeing.
If you have been lucky enough to see mantas while cleaning you will see how elegant and “polite” the process is.
If there are multiple individuals at one Cleaning Station they will patiently wait and take turns moving in and out of the area. This process can last for hours with each looping around to the Cleaning Station pausing over the reef for moments at a time until they move out and the next individual will move in.
As scuba divers it is very important for us to be respective of this behaviour and ensure we don’t interrupt the line! This is why we recommend that all divers stay at least 3 metres away from the Cleaning Station area. If we are to encroach on this area the mantas will move away quite quickly to give us – the human – space to be cleaned! The smaller creatures doing the cleaning will also move away and hide among the coral and rocks as they are fearful of quick and sudden movements.
Your Dive Guides will always be keeping on eye on the group to ensure that an over excited diver isn’t getting too close and we will give you a little tap to call you back. If everyone follows this simple rule it means we can enjoy the show for the duration of the dive as it is likely we will be ready to leave due to air consumption before the mantas are finished cleaning!
Other important things to note:
Mantas are large animals with the Reef Manta (aka Manta Alfredi) reaching a wingspan of 3-4 metres on average. It is important that we don’t chase or approach mantas from behind as they will often interpret this as predatory behaviour and swim away. With their large wingspan they are much faster than we are!
It is important also not to approach from above (especially so for snorkellers) as again they will interpret this as danger and move away.
Mantas do not respond well to divers who are moving quickly so being slow and remaining still is the best option.
It is vital that we never attempt to touch any marine life. A manta, if feeling secure and confident, is very inquisitive and there are many individuals here in Komodo that like to come in close and have a look at us divers! Mantas can come within centimeters of the a diver and it is so important that we do not try to touch them (although we understand the temptation!). Mantas have a protective film on their skin and human oils (even underwater) from our fingertips can be damaging to this.
The best advice we can give you
Let the mantas control the interaction! You will hear our Dive Guides say this a lot and we can promise you that this approach will give you the very best opportunity to enjoy magical experiences with these animals underwater.
Mantas are smart and intelligent, if they feel in control and not threatened they will often come closer and stay around for longer. We tell our divers to stay relaxed, stay calm, don’t move too much, don’t try to chase or touch or get close and they are more likely to come to you!
A quick recap:
If you would like to find out more about the Mantas of Komodo and the best time to dive here please get in touch now!
