Manta Ridge - Yap
Manta Ridge is exactly what it sounds like. We’ve drifted this site more times than we can count, and it’s always delivered. It’s essentially a gently sloping channel, 10 to 20 metres deep, where the mantas cruise in for their daily scrub-down. You wedge yourself behind a coral head, find your neutral buoyancy, and just wait. The surge pushes you gently back and forth while you scan the blue. Then, a dark shadow emerges, growing larger and larger, until a manta glides right over the ridge, sometimes so close you feel the displacement of water. They circle back, almost performing for the camera, utterly oblivious to the row of divers. We’ve seen up to ten at a time here, a truly mesmerising ballet. This isn’t a site for searching out tiny critters, though the odd floral wrasse or blue parrotfish might zip past. Manta Ridge is about one thing: mantas, guaranteed year-round. It suits anyone comfortable with a gentle drift and happy to spend their dive watching these magnificent animals. Our best tip? Go early, beat the crowds, and try to catch them when the light is still a bit soft.
- Location
- Yap, Micronesia, Central & South Pacific
- Coordinates
- 9.490000, 138.080000
- Maximum Depth
- 10-20m
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Best Time to Dive in Yap
The warmest water temperatures in Yap occur in January, averaging 29.0°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 29.0°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 29.0°C (air: 27.5°C)
- February: 29.0°C (air: 27.5°C)
- March: 29.0°C (air: 27.5°C)
- April: 29.0°C (air: 27.7°C)
- May: 29.0°C (air: 28.0°C)
- June: 29.0°C (air: 27.6°C)
- July: 29.0°C (air: 27.6°C)
- August: 29.0°C (air: 27.7°C)
- September: 29.0°C (air: 27.9°C)
- October: 29.0°C (air: 27.9°C)
- November: 29.0°C (air: 28.0°C)
- December: 29.0°C (air: 28.0°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Yap
- 1 2
- Big Bend
- Bird Island
- CHIDAI MARU NO 25 - 2m (wreck)
- Choqol Mini Wall - 10-30m (wall)
- CURACO - 10m (wreck)
- Eagle’s Nest - Micronesia - 25m (pinnacle)
- Gabach Channel (drift)
- Gapow Reef (reef)
- HAYABUSA MARU NO.2 - 0m (wreck)
- Kurrekurredutt Dropoff (wall)
- Laura Marie Wreck (wreck)
- Lionfish Wall (wall)
- Magic Kingdom - 21m
- Main Channel (drift)
Nearest Dive Centres to Manta Ridge
Marine Life in Yap
Home to 316 recorded species including 253 reef fish, 20 hard corals, 17 sea cucumbers, 13 sea snails & nudibranchs, 3 clams & mussels, 3 sharks & rays.
Notable Species
- Bristle-toothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus striatus) - Reef Fish
- Blue Parrotfish (Scarus oviceps) - Reef Fish
- Clown Tang (Naso lituratus) - Reef Fish
- Blunt-head Parrotfish (Chlorurus microrhinos) - Reef Fish
- Blackfin Soldierfish (Myripristis adusta) - Reef Fish
- Black sea cucumber (Holothuria atra) - Sea Cucumbers
- Bluefish (Kyphosus vaigiensis) - Reef Fish
- Long-nosed Parrotfish (Hipposcarus longiceps) - Reef Fish
- Sea chub (Kyphosus cinerascens) - Reef Fish
- Threadfin (Chaetodon auriga) - Reef Fish
- Greenfish (Stichopus chloronotus) - Sea Cucumbers
- Maori Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) - Reef Fish
- Black-barred Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigricauda) - Reef Fish
- Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels
- Argus Grouper (Cephalopholis argus) - Reef Fish
- Schlegel's Parrotfish (Scarus schlegeli) - Reef Fish
- Stony coral (Porites cylindrica) - Hard Corals
- Pinkfish (Holothuria edulis) - Sea Cucumbers
- Banded Goatfish (Parupeneus multifasciatus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Manta Ridge
Based on average water temperature of 29.0°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°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