Karang Makassar (Manta Point)

Indonesia18 m maxbeginner

Conditions & tides

Channel site — tidal current funnels through here and can run fast, changing quickly with the tide. It is usually strongest around mid-tide and eases near the slack windows below. Dive with a local operator who knows the timing.

Satellite view of Karang Makassar (Manta Point)

Karang Makassar (Manta Point)Indonesia

Good · 5/5

Approximate area — exact dive location unconfirmed; conditions reflect the general vicinity

Good5/5

Calm and diveable right now — best window today 8 AM–6 PM.

Wind3 kn SSW

Current~0.3 kn SSW · model

Swell

0.2 m · 8s · SW

Water

30 °C

Max depth

18 m

Conditions through the day

7 AM7 PM

Calmest current near slack — 16:15 & 05:00 local

Sunrise 05:32 · Sunset 18:00 local

Show details

Tide · local

Outlook — select a day for full conditions

On-face swell 0.1 m — the component of the swell aimed at this site’s exposed face. Strong-current reef: plan a drift and enter near the slack windows above. Current is a regional model value (Copernicus, ~9 km grid) — a guide to the area, not a precise reef measurement. Imagery © Esri · not depth or visibility.

Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model

Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.

Dived here today? How were conditions vs. what we showed?

About this site

Karang Makassar, also known as Manta Point, is a long, shallow reef plateau in Komodo National Park, situated in the channel between Komodo and Tatawa islands. The site sits in a broad, plankton-rich channel where steady current flow creates natural cleaning and feeding stations that attract large animals year-round.

The terrain is a sandy-bottomed plateau with scattered bommies that serve as cleaning stations, diving from around 8 m to a maximum of 16.5 m. The reef is not noted for coral cover, but the flat, open layout means visibility across the channel is generally good. Bommies are worth watching closely as mantas and other large animals regularly visit them to be cleaned.

Manta rays are the site's signature species and can be seen throughout the year, with peak sightings from December to March. Eagle rays, marble rays, and turtles are also regularly encountered in the channel, along with sweetlips, snappers, and reef fish.

Read the full guide

The dive is a drift over the sandy plateau, and current runs mild to moderate, making this an accessible site suitable for Open Water-certified divers and beginners. The standard approach is to drift slowly with the current, stay low and horizontal near the bottom, and allow the mantas to approach rather than pursuing them. Snorkelers can also see mantas from the surface at the same site.

AI-written site guide

Marine life here

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

Magnificent ChromodorisChromodoris magnificaReported here · unconfirmed
Chamberlain's NembrothaNembrotha chamberlainiReported here · unconfirmed
Australian Blue DragonPteraeolidia ianthinaReported here · unconfirmed
Gonodactylellus viridisReported here · unconfirmed
Black-margined NudibranchDoriprismatica atromarginataReported here · unconfirmed
Tyrannodoris luteolineataReported here · unconfirmed
Batangas HalgerdaHalgerda batangasReported here · unconfirmed
Reef Manta RayMobula alfrediReported here · unconfirmed
Crested NembrothaNembrotha cristataReported here · unconfirmed
Manta rayManta rayConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
Eagle rayEagle rayReported here · unconfirmed
TrevallyTrevallyReported here · unconfirmed
SweetlipsSweetlipsReported here · unconfirmed
SnapperSnapperReported here · unconfirmed
WrasseWrasseReported here · unconfirmed
GrouperGrouperReported here · unconfirmed