Swimming with manta rays in their natural environment is a truly awe inspiring experience. You can tell you’re witnessing something incredible as these massive, gentle creatures glide effortlessly below you. Those who’ve experienced it say they had a feeling of connection, amazement and clarity that stayed with them long after leaving Fiji.
There are few places in the world where encounters like this are even possible. Mantaray Island is one of them, perfectly positioned beside a natural feeding channel where manta rays gather throughout the season.
Protecting these gentle giants is a priority in Fiji, and our guided tours are thoughtfully designed to let guests experience them up close while ensuring the manta rays continue their natural behaviours undisturbed. Tours operate three times per day and follow strict guidelines to keep interactions respectful and low-impact.
Please note: Manta ray tours cannot be pre-booked and are only available to reserve onsite.
During the Fiji manta ray season, from May to October, the waters surrounding Mantaray Island Resort come alive with the graceful presence of Pacific manta rays, the inspiration behind our name. At times, up to 20 of these majestic creatures can be seen gliding effortlessly through the channel beside the resort sometimes even on our house reef.
Our once-in-a-lifetime swimming with manta rays trip costs FJ$85 per person. You will be supplied with snorkelling gear (for the manta ray swim only) and accompanied by experienced guides.
If no mantas are present in the channel during your trip, you’ll receive a 50% discount towards your next Manta Snorkel experience.
You can expect to see many manta rays of different sizes feeding in the channel.
Water clarity is usually very good, so you should be able to clearly see the details and colouration on these incredible creatures.
Manta rays visit the channel between May and October, so if swimming with mantas is a must-do, plan your trip between these months. We
occasionally spot them as early as April and as late as November, but don’t usually run trips then.
You can find out more about manta rays in Fiji by visiting https://mantarayisland.com/manta-ray-fiji/
During manta ray season (May to October), the mantas are in the channel almost every day. Occasionally they may not be, or other circumstances may prevent a trip from running.
For the best chance of swimming with the manta rays, it’s recommended that you stay at least four nights. This allows you time for ferry travel to
and from Mantaray Island Resort and a couple of days when you could take a trip to swim with the mantas.
There are many fun activities at the resort so you can make the most of your holiday in Fiji. Alternatively, you can choose to soak in the beautiful views and warm tropical air in complete relaxation.
We have three departures per day, 8.30am, 12.30pm and 3.30pm.
Please note, these times may change depending on operatioinal needs or other curcumstances.
Snorkel, mask and fins are provided. However, if you prefer using your own, this is fine as well. If you have an underwater camera you’ll probably want to bring that too.
Please don’t bring bags, spare clothes, towels or sunglasses. You won’t need them on this trip.
You don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to swim with the manta rays but a basic level of swimming proficiency is important. You’ll be swimming in
the open ocean, using a mask, snorkel and flippers.
The more confident you are in the water, the more you’ll be able to relax and enjoy this amazing experience. YouTube clips can give you a basic introduction to swimming and snorkelling (see
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY759I2_fVE for example). There’s no
substitute for experience, though. Practise before you come, if possible, and take the opportunity to practise your skills on the beautiful reef just
out front of the resort.
You may have read about how the manta rays visit the channel to feed in the current https://mantarayisland.com/manta-ray-fiji/. While the current is quite noticeable, you won’t have to swim against it. Guests and guides are
dropped at the top of the channel. The current will gently float you over the mantas. Our team will collect you and transport you back to the other
end.
The swimming with manta rays trip is suitable for confident swimmers, minimum age 5 years. Children 5- 16 years need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Our swimming with the manta ray trips usually run for between 30 and 60 minutes.
We ask guests to behave calmly and quietly in the water so that the mantas feel safe to remain in the channel feeding.
Unfortunately not. Although the channel is only a short boat ride from the resort, it’s too far to swim unless you’re a marathon swimmer.
Also, even if you could swim to the channel, visiting without a guide isn’t permitted. The current in the area is strong. It can tire an unaccompanied swimmer out very quickly. It could also be tricky to return to the resort.
Taking our guided trip allows you to enjoy the experience safely.
And finally, manta rays are listed as vulnerable (IUCN Red List). Fiji takes its stewardship of the species very seriously. The country is a leader in
manta ray protection. It’s important that we limit interactions and avoid constant disturbances to their natural behaviours.
By taking a trip with a responsible tourism operator you help to ensure the survival of this phenomenal species for future generations.
From private villas just steps from the ocean, to treetop bures and laid-back dorms, Mantaray Island Resort offers accommodation for every traveller, whether you’re seeking indulgent beachfront luxury or budget-friendly comfort.
Wake up to breathtaking sunrise views in our newest adults-only beachfront villas.
From FJD 788 Per Night
Discover true luxury by the ocean with our newly refurbished Beachfront Villas, set right on the sand and surrounded by the natural beauty of the island.
From FJD 537 Per Night
Stylish, comfortable, and perfectly positioned just moments from the beach, our Reef Bures offer couples a private retreat surrounded by tropical gardens and the gentle sound of the ocean.
From FJD 514 Per Night
Spacious and breezy, our Family Reef Bures are just steps from the sand and surrounded by the beauty of the island, making them ideal for small families or close friends seeking a fun and memorable escape.
From FJD 492 Per Night
Just steps from the shoreline and nestled within lush tropical gardens, our Seaside Bures provide a private and peaceful retreat for those seeking an authentic and affordable Fijian experience.
From FJD 428 Per Night
Tucked away among lush greenery and surrounded by the sights and sounds of the island, our Treehouse Bures offer a peaceful and truly unique Fijian experience.
From FJD 207 Per Night
For travellers seeking a relaxed, social, and budget-friendly stay, our Paradise Dormitory is the perfect choice.
From FJD 73 Per Night
During the Fiji manta ray season, from May to October, the waters surrounding Mantaray Island Resort come alive with the graceful presence of Pacific manta rays, the inspiration behind our name. At times, up to 20 of these majestic creatures can be seen gliding effortlessly through the channel beside the resort sometimes even on our house reef.
Join one of our daily manta ray snorkelling trips for a rare opportunity to witness these gentle giants up close as they move through the nutrient-rich waters. The area around the resort is an internationally recognised sanctuary, providing a safe haven for manta rays and offering guests an unforgettable and truly magical experience.
Manta rays are large beautiful creatures that live in warm tropical, subtropical and temperate waters around the globe. There are two species of manta ray in the world – the reef manta ray (Manta alfredi) and the giant manta ray (Manta birostris).
Here at Mantaray Island we’re mostly visited by reef manta rays, which stick closer to islands, seamounts and reefs in shallower water. Giant oceanic manta rays venture further out into the depths of the open ocean. They visit shallower areas and cleaning stations occasionally, which is when we might be lucky enough to see them.
Don’t let the names fool you though – while the giant manta ray really is a giant, reef manta rays are no featherweights either!
Researchers have yet to confirm this with certainty, but they believe manta rays live to between 40 and 50 years old.
Yes! Although it’s rare for anything to attack these giants, there are some creatures who will hunt them for food. These are orcas, false killer whales and a few of the larger species of sharks.
Manta rays have gill plates that they use to filter tiny creatures out of the water to eat. These are each 1 – 2 mm long. They do not have teeth for defence or biting large prey.
They also don’t have venomous barbs in their tails like stingrays do.
Swimming with manta rays is a wonderful choice for anyone wanting a remarkable animal encounter with a gentle giant.
Yes, they can. They can make impressive leaps out of the water when they are playing or trying to impress a mate. This also helps them to remove parasites from their skin.
Manta rays are strong swimmers. They can swim fast and hold their position in strong currents. They can move about a whole body-length in one second!
They can maintain a speed of 14 kilometres (9 miles) per hour, with bursts of up to 35 kilometres (22 miles) per hour.
For a long time, no one had any idea!
Recently, tagged manta rays have shown us that oceanic mantas can make dives of between 200m and 450m deep. The species has been recorded at maximum depths of 1000m deep.
Nobody knows for sure but it’s unlikely. Like sharks, manta rays have to keep swimming to pump water over their gills. This is how they breathe.
It’s possible that they shut down certain parts of their brain to give them a rest, though.
Manta rays take about 10 years to reach sexual maturity. Once they start breeding, they usually have a single pup (sometimes two) every two to five years. Gestation is believed to be about a year long. Eggs are retained within the mother mantra ray’s body, where they hatch. Sometime after, she gives birth to live young.
A group of rays is called a ‘fever’!
Manta rays are occasionally completely black, but usually, they have a dark back and white belly. Each manta ray also has a distinct pattern of spots on its belly. These are used by researchers to identify individuals because no two are the same.
There have also been a few reports of albino manta rays. This completely white form is extremely rare.
Manta rays are large animals with wing-like pectoral fins on each side. These help them to gracefully propel themselves and glide through the water while filtering the water for plankton. Their wing-shaped fins generate a lot of thrust. This creates vortexes of water that propel the manta ray forward.
Cousins to the shark, manta rays have cartilaginous skeletons that make for their graceful flexibility.
Yes! Giant oceanic manta rays migrate vast distances of around a thousand kilometres or more. Reef manta rays have shorter migrations because they like to stay in shallower water. They are believed to usually migrate under 100km but have been known to travel over 250km.
Reef manta rays migrate to areas with a good food source and stay there for months at a time.
Although manta rays and stingrays look quite similar at first glance, there are actually quite a few differences between the two.
Stingrays are generally smaller than manta rays. The smallest species is a featherweight at only 10cm across. They eat fish and crustaceans using mouths positioned under their bodies, and often rest on or under the sand close to shore. And finally, they have long, thin tails which usually have a sharp venomous barb at the end. This makes them more dangerous than manta rays.
Manta rays, by comparison, are much bigger. Their mouths are found at the front edge of their bodies and they use their unique cephalic lobes (found beside their mouths) to funnel plankton into their bellies. You won’t find them resting on the sand near the beach. They have no venomous barb, either.
The suckerfish you may see attached to the manta rays are called remoras. They attach themselves to manta rays or sharks, often near the head.
They don’t harm the manta ray host, but rather have a symbiotic relationship (one that benefits them both). The remoras eat skin parasites attached to the manta ray. In return they get free transport and the occasional snack the manta missed.
Remoras suck on strongly enough to stay in place but can let go and move around if they choose to.
Manta rays come here each May to October to feed in the nutrient-rich waters which are funnelled through the narrow channel.
The strong currents flowing through the channel during the change of tide concentrates nutrients between Nanuya Balavu (our island!) and Drawaqa Island. This makes it a perfect feeding spot to access their main food source, plankton, with ease, and in great abundance.
While giant manta rays are believed to get up to 8.8m (29 feet) across and weigh up to 2400kg (5300 pounds), the average manta is around 4m (12 feet) across.
Records of giant mantas are notoriously difficult to verify. The largest reported in the scientific literature measured 22 feet (6.7 metres) across and there is one report of an individual 30 feet (9.1 metres) across. But most mantas encountered by people are about 12 feet (4 metres) across.
In Fijian manta rays are called the “VAI”. With wingspans reaching over 20 feet across, manta rays are one of the largest fish in the ocean. In recent years, Mantaray Island Resort has been visited by a manta ray spanning 6.5m! The manta ray in the above image is approximately 4.5m across.
Manta rays may be intimidating because of their large size (4-6m) but they are gentle creatures. They might watch you as you swim by and show gentle curiosity but will usually keep their distance at the same time.
Manta rays are very intelligent. They have the biggest brain-to-body size of all fish. Studies that set out to understand just how smart they are found that they could be able to recognise themselves in a mirror. They also have well-developed long term memories and can map out their environment using sight and smell.
The answer is definitely not you!
Manta ray are filter feeders. They possess cephalic (head) fins that they use to help funnel food and water into their cavernous mouths. They eat zooplankton, krill and very small crustaceans – all tiny inhabitants of the water column.
To catch these little guys they swim around with their mouths wide open and filter their lunch through gill plates, which are like tiny filtering rakes.
You may also see them doing slow somersaults while feeding. They might also be seen swimming in a circle with other manta rays. This is called chain feeding and manta rays do it to trap zooplankton in a funnel of water between them.
Manta rays are listed as Vulnerable.
They are fished for their gill rakers and meat, or caught as by-catch. They can also become entangled in fishing nets or other human garbage.
Although exact number are hard to confirm, both species are known to have declined worldwide.
Join one of our daily manta ray snorkelling trips for a rare opportunity to witness these gentle giants up close as they move through the nutrient-rich waters. The area around the resort is an internationally recognised sanctuary, providing a safe haven for manta rays and offering guests an unforgettable and truly magical experience.
