Manta rays hotspots

Hello everybody,
mods, please move this to more appropriate forum if needed. I personally couldn't find one...

My girlfriend is in love with manta rays, so we're considering a few known destinations, essentially Raja Ampat, Yap (which appears extremely complicate to reach from Denmark), Nusa Penida and the Maldives.

We're both CMAS Open Water, her with 30+ dives, me about 60+. What place would you recommend for the limited experience we have (never tried current)? We are willing to travel a lot in order to enjoy these beauties, (possibly not surrounded by hundreds of other divers... Am I asking too much?).

Thanks

Maurizio

If you're not set on those destinations - surrounded by dozens of other divers - there's the Manta Night dive off Kona, Hawaii. The dive itself is at night but well within both of your skill sets. It's warm, clear water. Pretty shallow also - maybe 40'. The brighter your light the more they're your friends - it highlights the plankton they're there for.



My buddy did a week of diving there - at another day dive he dove with hundreds of Spinner Dolphins near the surface. One option - but other shops do it also: Manta Night Dive Kona | Manta Snorkel | Jack's Diving Locker | Jack's Diving Locker

On a non-dive day you can see the Volcano erupting. Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Long flight from Denmark though unless you've always wanted to see Hawaii...I believe some flights are one connection thru San Francisco though. Check it here easily. http://matrix.itasoftware.com/

There are a few places in the Maldives with manta cleaning stations. However there can be current- not always but there's always the chance as the mantas are often near channel exits.

If you have the budget, I heartily recommend Marc's team at Ocean Dimensions, 6 Senses Laamu Atoll. This is a very quiet atoll with very few tourists. The hotel is pricey as it is a 5 Star luxury hotel. The mantas can actually be seen year-round unlike some other sites that I know of which are much more seasonal.

Thanks guys,
US territories is off limit for me for now (don't have an e-passport, and too lazy to go through visa hassle). Amazing video, that's for sure!

We are seriously considering the Maldives, and started investigating the idea of a liveaboard (which would be first time for us). Yes, currents are the issue, but I guess it's the same everywhere, if one wants to see pelagics... So, it's a matter of finding an easy one among current-swept countries...

Palau is a good option also but I believe it's seasonal. One website I googled seems to indicate November-April. is best. I really know nothing else about it. Except I've heard of German Channel - one of the sites. No idea on the current except there doesn't seem to be much on this video:

Palau "Mantas im German Channel" - YouTube

Blue Corner otoh has a lot of current. It's on the top 50 dives in the World list though so maybe with a DM? It's a reef hook dive, you hook in and watch the sharks float/feed nearby. From what I understand it starts out mild if you're early enough then gets pretty intense.

These guys must be based there for a pretty good reason. Manta ID Palau | Welcome!