(Reef · 27 Sep 2026)
The month the mantas come back
Every November, reef mantas return to the cleaning station off our north point. Here is how to meet them.
Reef mantas are filter feeders with a wingspan of up to four metres. From November to April they gather at cleaning stations where small fish pick parasites off their skin.
Ours is 14 metres deep, ten minutes by boat from the jetty. On a good morning, six or seven mantas circle the same coral head.
You do not need to dive. Snorkellers see them from the surface as they turn and rise to feed.
“A manta does not swim past you. It looks at you.”
Our marine biologist names every manta from the spots on its belly. Over 200 individuals are in our catalogue.
The rule is simple: never chase, never touch, and stay above them.
In April they leave for the open ocean, and the island feels a little emptier.
