Manta Alley

Manta Alley is exactly what its name promises, a channel between rocks off the southern edge of the Komodo archipelago where reef mantas gather to feed in the plankton-rich water and to be cleaned, sometimes in numbers. Divers settle among the boulders at moderate depth and watch the mantas file through the passage and circle overhead. The mantas are the reason to come, but the cool southern water brings other surprises, and mola mola have been recorded here along with nurse sharks and turtles patrolling the reef. When the plankton is thick the mantas can be present in a steady stream. The southern side of the park is cooler and can be surgy, and the mantas are most reliable in the right season, but few Komodo dives are as consistent for close manta time. The conditions and the depth make it a dive for experienced divers.

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

• SnapperSnapperReported here · unconfirmed
• Mola mola (ocean sunfish)Mola mola (ocean sunfish)Reported here · unconfirmed
• Reef Manta RayMobula alfrediReported here · unconfirmed
• Hawksbill Sea TurtleEretmochelys imbricataReported here · unconfirmed
• Nurse sharkNurse sharkReported here · unconfirmed
• Manta rayManta rayConfirmed present · 7 independent sources
• TrevallyTrevallyReported here · unconfirmed
• BarracudaBarracudaReported here · unconfirmed