Manta Point (Lankan Reef)

Lankan Reef's coral blocks work as a drive-through car wash for reef mantas during the southwest monsoon. Divers settle on sand patches a respectful distance back while mantas circle overhead, stalling above the bommies so cleaner wrasse can work their gills and bellies. On busy days several animals queue at once, looping for an hour or more. Out of season it is an ordinary, pleasant slope: the mantas are the show, and they follow the plankton calendar, not the dive schedule.

اللحظة التي جئت من أجلها: Queueing reef mantas at cleaning stations; close, calm passes over divers' bubbles

التضاريس: Sloping outer reef with scattered large coral blocks on sand

التيار: Gentle to moderate flow along the outer reef; guides position groups down-current of the cleaning blocks.

المخاطر: Boat traffic overhead in season; mild surge on the shallow reef top.

الحفاظ على البيئة البحرية: Kneel only on bare sand, stay low, and never swim at or over an approaching manta: blocking the cleaning station ends the encounter for everyone.

نيتروكس: يستحق الأمر هنا: الملفات الشخصية تقع في النطاق الذي يُمدّد فيه الهواء المدعّم (نيتروكس) وقت الغوص دون توقف تمديدًا ملموسًا، مع التدريب اللازم لاستخدامه.