Manta Point (Karang Makassar)

Karang Makassar looks like nothing on the sounder, a drab rubble plain, and then the mantas appear. This is Komodo's manta highway: reef mantas commute along the flat to feed in the plankton stream and pause at bommie cleaning stations, sometimes singly, sometimes in chains of a dozen nose-to-tail. Divers drift with the tide at ten meters or so, staying low and letting the animals pass overhead; black morphs are a regular treat. Sightings happen year-round with a strong statistical lean toward the plankton-rich months around the northwest monsoon. Turtles, blue-spotted rays, and the odd bamboo shark fill the gaps between passes. Few dives this easy deliver animals this large.

The moment you come for: Chains of reef mantas; cleaning-station holds; an easy shallow drift suitable for most divers.

Topography: A kilometers-long flat of coral rubble and scattered bommies in shallow water east of Komodo island.

Current: A long conveyor-belt drift over the rubble; speed varies from strolling pace to brisk with the tide.

Hazards: Boat traffic over a shallow drift line and occasional quick current; surface with an SMB well clear of the channel.

Conservation: Manta code of conduct applies: no chasing, no blocking their path, keep low and off the cleaning stations; the park polices boat numbers at peak times.