Komodo National Park is so well known as being the region where the prehistoric Komodo Dragons can be found, but for the divers among us what we can see underwater is truly breathtaking! Let’s talk more about the Mantas of Komodo and when is the best time to see them!
Komodo National Park is home to healthy, vibrant reefs and hugely diverse marine life, but one of the absolute favourite animals on every divers bucket list are the majestic Mantas of Komodo!!!
Mantas are a very common sight here in Komodo with a recorded population of over 1200. New individuals are sighted every year thanks to citizen science (which we will tell you a little bit about later).
Mantas of Komodo fall into different categories of adventurer! Some love to travel long distances and have been noted to spend their lives covering wide expanses of the ocean. Some of the Mantas of Komodo have even been seen as far away as Nusa Penida. That is over 400km away! While others prefer to ‘stay near home’ and spend the majority of their life around Komodo National Park just moving between the different sites in the area.
What are Mantas?
Mantas are part of the Elasmobranch Family – the same as sharks and skates. Sharks have been around for over 500 million years while these “younger” Mantas are believed to have been around for about 5 million years.
The majestic mantas live in perpetual motion – meaning they always have to keep moving. The heaviest known manta specimen weighed approximately 2 tonnes and due to their physiological make up they are negatively buoyant so if they stop moving they start to sink.
There are currently 2 types of Mantas – the Manta Alfredi or the Reef Manta and the Manta Birostris or Oceanic Manta.
Although Oceanic Mantas have been seen here in Komodo it is highly unusual. Our main interactions here are with the Reef Mantas! Reef Mantas have an average wing span of 3-4 metres and can be identified by the spot pattern on their belly.
The underside of mantas are white with navy / black spots. These spots are unique to every individual which is why we are able to tell which manta is which and where they move to! If you chat with your dive guide onboard KLM Eliya they will be able to tell you about the different Mantas of Komodo and which ones they see more often than others. Many even have names when they have been adopted. The name is theirs for life.
Manta Matcher is a fantastic online resource where you can upload your images of different manta bellies & the information will be added to the database to help track the different individuals.
The spot patterns on manta bellies are what is used to identify and track individuals. This is why citizen science and photos / videos are so so important. Scientists use this information to identify, track and monitor individuals and populations.
The Best Time for the Mantas of Komodo
We are lucky enough to see mantas all year a round here in Komodo, but what many people don’t realise is that the BEST time to see mantas is actually in the quieter months! Low season for visitors is high season for our flappy friends!
If you really want to increase your chances of seeing these magnificent giants in big numbers the best time to visit is September – April. These months are considered ‘low season’ in Komodo as there are a lot less visitors around. This does mean that the dive sites are a lot quieter and there are less boats around too.
November – March is considered rainy season here and people are often concerned about the weather. The great thing about this region is that it is usually very arid and even in rainy season we do not tend to get the monsoon style rains that are common in other Asian countries. It is more common here for it to rain in the afternoons / evenings and overnight, but still be dry and sunny in the day time.
This also does mean that at this time of year the visibility in some part of the National Park can be reduced. In the months of July – August underwater visibility can be 30 metres on a good day, but probably averaging around 20 metres. In the low season months visibility at the central sites is usually averaging 10-15 meters and 20 + metres at the Southern sites.
The reason for the drop in visibility is not just because of the weather conditions, but also because at this time of year the currents running through the region are much more nutrient rich. This means much more plankton and smaller organisms in the water. This may mean visibility is a little reduced for divers, but it does mean there is a lot more food in the water for the mantas of Komodo!!
It is not uncommon in these months to see more than 20+ mantas on a single dive. Our guests and dive guides have regularly done dives with possibly 50-60 individuals all around them! It gets to the point that there are so many it is simply impossible to keep count!!
These dives really are incredible moments that will leave you in a state of awe. It is not uncommon for our divers to get to the surface screaming in joy or just simply be quietly in disbelief after one of these epic manta dives!!!
They can still be seen throughout the rest of the year of course, but November – March really is the very best time to visit for these special animals.
July – September is considered high season in Komodo and during this time we usually get clear conditions with flat seas and great visibility. We dive the Central and Northern dives sites in these months so we visit the famous dive sites such as Crystal Rock, Castle Rock, the Cauldron (aka Shotgun) in the North of the National Park.
These sites are famous for strong currents, schooling fish, schooling reef sharks and, of course, the occasional manta!!
The younger mantas also seem to enjoy the strong currents of the Cauldron! As divers we will be working hard to hold our position while the majestic mantas will just give small tiny flicks of their fins to maintain there place in the current line.
The Main Manta Dive Sites
Mantas can be seen at any of the dive sites in Komodo and are quite often seen breaching or jumping out of the water between the months of November – March.
We regularly encounter mantas at sites such as The Cauldron (aka Shotgun), Tatawa Besar, Tatawa Kecil, Siaba Besar along with others, but there are 3 main dive sites where we can be pretty sure of seeing the mantas of Komodo on an almost daily basis – but it is the ocean so there is no guarantee of course!
What makes these 3 dive sites so popular for mantas is that they have lots of “cleaning stations” Take a look at our previous blog about mantas if you are not sure what a cleaning station is.
Mawan – Central Dive Site
Mantas seen here all year around.
Biggest numbers between November – March.
Mawan is a stunning island located in the centre of the National Park and plays host to a number of manta cleaning stations. What makes Mawan special is that the cleaning stations are all relatively shallow. A long reefy plateau extends from the shore line to 26-27 metres before dropping deeper. Cleaning stations can be found at 3 – 6 – 9 – 18 – 22m with the majority of ‘action’ usually happening in the shallower water. It is easy to spend an entire dive here in less than 8m of water while you watch the mantas flying overhead and have the rays of sunshine breaking the surface. It is truly spectacular.
Karang Makassar – Central Dive Site
aka Manta Point – not to be mistaken with Manta Point at Nusa Penida)
Mantas seen here all year around.
Biggest numbers between November – March.
This dive site is the longest in the National Park and runs North – South. Manta Point is usually dived as a drift dive and we start at either the Southern end or the Northern end depending on the direction the current is running. We regularly drift 3km during this dive.
The topography of this dive site is very unusual with many divers describing it as a moon-scape! The rubble bottom is dotted with cleaning stations where the mantas will come into clean. Some of our guests most favourite dive site is Manta Point for the shear numbers of mantas you can see here!! You can be watching 2 at a cleaning station and suddenly you will see a flash in the corner of your eye as 4 more fly past! The average depth of Manta Point is 12-13 metres. So again a very shallow dive site making long dives and amazing manta interactions easy!
Manta Alley – Southern Dive Site
Mantas seen here all more often in the summer months of June – September.
Biggest numbers July – September.
Manta Ally is similar to Manta Point in that it is a long drift dive. It has a gently sloping rocky bottom that levels out at a sandy area around 20 metres. The cleaning stations here tend to be found in the sandy area so this is a little deeper than the other sites. However the shallower rocky section and small channel is where the mantas tend to feed and hangout while playing in the current!! Manta Alley is famous for the mantas of course, but it does also get quite cold here with temperatures averaging 22-23 degrees whereas the other sites at the is time of year will average 24-26 degrees.
The Mantas of Komodo really are here all year around, but if you really want to maximise your chances of seeing these magical animals in big numbers then the best time to visit is between September & April, with even better chances mid November – mid / end of March.
Not only will you increase your likelihood of seeing the Mantas of Komodo, but there are less boats around, dive sites are quieter and some days you really will feel like you have the Komodo National Park all to yourself!
Scuba Junkie are running a very Special Low Season Promo at the time of writing this blog. From now until 30 April 2025 you can book and pay for any trip onboard KLM Eliya and we will give you a 30% discount on our published prices – YES – 30%!!!!
If you combine KLM Eliya with one of our other locations we can offer you 25% discount on the second location.
What better time to book your holiday for your next Manta adventure! Get in touch now to find out more about our availability and our low season Mantas of Komodo Promo Deal!
Booking Period: Now until 30 April 2025
Travel Period: 1 November 2025 – 31 March 2026
If you would like to take advantage of our Special Low Season Promo then please get in touch here.
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!
