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Manta Ray

Marine life profile

Manta Ray

Recorded at 571 dive sites

Where divers encounter it

Explore Manta Ray around the world

Manta rays are large rays belonging to the genus Mobula. It cruises, feeds and visits cleaning stations with slow wingbeats that make a huge animal appear weightless.

Dive sites571
Countries41
Animal groupRays
Safety profileGenerally Harmless

Meet the species

What to look for

How to Recognize It

An immense diamond-shaped ray with forward-facing cephalic fins that curl and unfurl beside its wide mouth.

How It Behaves

It cruises, feeds and visits cleaning stations with slow wingbeats that make a huge animal appear weightless.

Special Ability

Rolled cephalic fins open into funnels that guide plankton-rich water toward the mouth.

Dive responsibly

Share the water well

How to Approach

Stay low and still at cleaning stations. Never swim above, touch or chase a manta, and leave its route open.

Safety

Do not touch, stand on or crowd a resting ray. Give the tail room and shuffle carefully in shallow sandy water.

Worth knowing

The detail you remember

Interesting Facts

Individual mantas can be identified by the unique pattern of spots on their underside.

Where to Find

Search sandy flats, cleaning stations, reef passes and current-swept channels, especially around feeding or cleaning time.

Known countries

BrazilIndiaMaldivesIndonesiaMexicoEgyptSaudi ArabiaOmanPortugalFrench PolynesiaFijiSeychellesNew Caledonia