World Manta Day: Discover Manta Ray Diving with Dive Worldwide

World Manta Day is the perfect opportunity to celebrate manta rays and the unforgettable experiences they provide for divers and snorkellers around the world.

To mark the occasion, Dive Worldwide has brought together a collection of destinations where travellers can experience encounters with manta and mobula rays, from the tropical waters of Indonesia and the Maldives to the remote Pacific islands of Mexico and the Atlantic waters around the Azores.

Whether you’re looking for giant oceanic mantas, reef mantas or vast gatherings of mobula rays, Dive Worldwide offers a range of diving holidays designed around some of the world’s best locations for ray encounters.

Indonesia

Indonesia’s extraordinary marine biodiversity makes it one of Dive Worldwide’s featured destinations for manta ray diving.

Divers can explore the waters around Komodo National Park, Bali and Raja Ampat, where encounters with reef and oceanic manta rays can be combined with sightings of turtles, sharks and large schools of fish.

Dive Worldwide’s BIG in Bali trip offers an 11-day itinerary including flights from the UK, transfers, one night in Bali, seven nights on Nusa Lembongan and a 10-dive pack. Prices start from £1,895 per person, with April and May identified as the best time to go for manta encounters.

Socorro, Mexico

For encounters with giant oceanic manta rays, Dive Worldwide points divers towards the remote Revillagigedo Archipelago, better known as Socorro.

These volcanic islands offer liveaboard diving alongside opportunities to encounter manta rays, dolphins, humpback whales and numerous species of shark.

The Socorro Liveaboard is a 12-day trip priced from £4,295 per person, including flights from the UK, some transfers, one night in a hotel, eight nights aboard a Socorro liveaboard and five days of diving. The recommended season runs from November to July.

Maldives

The Maldives is another destination featured by Dive Worldwide for its manta ray encounters.

Within the UNESCO-listed Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve, Hanifaru Bay hosts seasonal gatherings of reef manta rays. Strong tides around the new and full moons can bring plankton into the bay, sometimes resulting in large feeding aggregations.

Diving is not permitted inside Hanifaru Bay, but visitors can snorkel with the mantas and explore nearby dive sites.

Dive Worldwide’s Baa Atoll Island Hopping trip lasts nine days and starts from £3,145 per person, including flights from the UK, transfers, four nights on Fulhadhoo Island, three nights on Maalhos Island and 10 boat dives. July to November is the recommended period for the trip.

Pico, Azores

Manta encounters aren’t limited to tropical destinations. Dive Worldwide also features Pico in the Azores, where experienced divers can join excursions to Princess Alice Bank.

The remote Atlantic seamount attracts large schools of mobula rays during the summer months, alongside a variety of other pelagic marine life.

The Dive Pico – Mantas & More itinerary lasts eight days and starts from £1,495 per person, including flights from the UK, transfers, seven nights’ accommodation and 10 local boat dives. Trips to Princess Alice Bank carry an additional charge.

Mozambique

Dive Worldwide also offers manta-focused diving holidays in Mozambique, where plankton-rich waters provide opportunities to encounter giant oceanic manta rays, particularly around Tofo.

The area is known for manta rays gathering at cleaning stations above the reef, while whale sharks can also be encountered during seasonal aggregations.

The Dive Tofo itinerary is a 10-day trip priced from £2,765 per person, including flights from the UK, transfers, seven nights’ accommodation and a 10-dive pack. November to April is the recommended period to visit.

La Paz, Mexico

For those interested in mobula rays, Dive Worldwide’s featured destination of La Paz provides another option.

Each spring, large schools of mobula rays gather in the nutrient-rich waters surrounding La Paz in the Sea of Cortez. Divers and snorkellers can encounter the rays alongside the area’s sea lions, dolphins, whales and other marine life.

The BIG in Mexico: Dive Sea of Cortez itinerary lasts 10 days and starts from £2,645 per person, including flights from the UK, transfers, seven nights at a resort in La Paz and 10 boat dives. December to May is the suggested season.

Plan Your Manta Ray Diving Holiday with Dive Worldwide

From Indonesia and the Maldives to Mexico, Mozambique and the Azores, Dive Worldwide offers a range of diving holidays for travellers looking to experience manta and mobula rays in different parts of the world.

Its specialist team can help divers choose a destination and itinerary based on the type of ray encounter they are looking for, as well as the wider diving and travel experience they want from their holiday.

For more information about manta ray diving holidays and the destinations featured by Dive Worldwide, visit their website or contact their team on 01962 302 087.