Manta point - Loyalty Islands
Passe intérieure de Boulari, inside Prony Bay, is a drift dive we always look forward to. Drop in at the start of an outgoing current, and you’re immediately swept along, gliding over coral patches with schools of fusiliers so thick they sometimes block out the sun. We’ve had some fantastic encounters here – whitetip reef sharks resting on the sandy bottom, big spotted groupers hanging out under ledges, and once, a curious reef manta ray circled us for a good five minutes. The maximum depth is around 17 metres, making it a pretty relaxed dive, even with the current. Visibility tends to be solid, often pushing 20 metres. We love the feeling of being carried along, eyes scanning for passing pelagics like grey reef sharks or eagle rays that often cruise through the channel. It’s an easygoing drift that suits most divers comfortable with some current, offering a lively cross-section of what the bay has to offer.
- Location
- Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia, Australasia
- Coordinates
- -20.773700, 165.279600
- Type
- drift
Marine Protected Area: Povilla Forest Reserve
Best Time to Dive in Loyalty Islands
The warmest water temperatures in Loyalty Islands occur in February, averaging 28.2°C. The coolest conditions are in August at 24.2°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.9°C
- February: 28.2°C
- March: 28.1°C
- April: 27.6°C
- May: 26.3°C
- June: 25.4°C
- July: 24.7°C
- August: 24.2°C
- September: 24.5°C
- October: 25.2°C
- November: 26.4°C
- December: 27.6°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Loyalty Islands
- Aquarium (reef)
- Aquarium
- Arche aux gorgonnes (reef)
- Arche aux gorgonnes (reef)
- bargibenti (reef)
- Carouso Mio (drift)
- Centre de plongée de Babou
- Chemin des écoliers (reef)
- Dahab de Nous (reef)
- Eagle Paradise (wreck)
- Faille de Poe (wreck)
- FRANCE II - 0m (wreck)
- Grand coude de Kele (reef)
- grande passe (reef)
- Green Turtle (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Manta point
Marine Life in Loyalty Islands
Home to 129 recorded species including 93 reef fish, 11 sea cucumbers, 9 sea snails & nudibranchs, 4 clams & mussels, 4 sharks & rays, 3 whales & dolphins.
Notable Species
- Chestnut Blenny (Cirripectes castaneus) - Reef Fish
- Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
- Boring Clam (Tridacna crocea) - Clams & Mussels
- Humphead Unicornfish (Naso unicornis) - Reef Fish
- Batavian Parrotfish (Scarus psittacus) - Reef Fish
- Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
- Black sea cucumber (Holothuria atra) - Sea Cucumbers
- Greenfish (Stichopus chloronotus) - Sea Cucumbers
- dusky farmerfish (Stegastes nigricans) - Reef Fish
- Manini (Acanthurus triostegus) - Reef Fish
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels
- Honeycomb Grouper (Epinephelus merra) - Reef Fish
- Bristle-toothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus striatus) - Reef Fish
- Orange-axil wrasse (Stethojulis bandanensis) - Reef Fish
- Banded Goatfish (Parupeneus multifasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Leopard Blenny (Exallias brevis) - Reef Fish
- Blackedge thicklip wrasse (Hemigymnus melapterus) - Reef Fish
- Pinkfish (Holothuria edulis) - Sea Cucumbers
- Citron Butterfly (Chaetodon citrinellus) - Reef Fish
- Blackspotted Sea Cucumber (Pearsonothuria graeffei) - Sea Cucumbers
Recommended Packing List for Manta point
Based on average water temperature of 26.3°C, currents 10 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 26°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories