Contact Local Dive Thailand and give yourself the very best chance of an encounter with these magnificent ocean giants.BOOK A SNORKEL TOUR WITH MANTA RAYS AT MANTA POINT FROM NUSA LEMBONGAN OR PENIDA There’s of course no guarantee on any of the dive sites but who better than the local experts to give you up to date advice on where to go. Koh Bon and Koh Tachai have regular sightings between October and May as do the southern dive sites of Hin Daeng and Hin Muang. However the liveaboards in both the north and south andaman offer a far better chance. ![]() On our day trips we have Racha Noi, especially the south tip. We’re fortunate enough to have quite a few Phuket scuba diving sites that are visited by manta rays. Where Can I See Giant Manta Rays In Thailand? We often see all of these species near the surface away from coral reefs and cleaning stations. Whale sharks and sunfish display similar recovery behaviour in warmer surface waters. After long feeding forays in deep, cooler water they may visit shallow reefs to warm up. Manta rays like most fish are ectotherms, meaning their body temperature is determined by the surrounding water. Dead skin and parasites are expertly removed by the army of cleaners leaving the manta ray clean and healthy. So Why Do We See Them On Shallow Reefs?įor sure one reason is for a good clean, cleaner wrasse and butterfly fish congregate on certain areas of reef and wait for the manta rays to deliver their food. The depletion of resources in this zone could have a significant impact on global populations. Again this does draw slight concerns, this mesopelagic zone is the next target for fisheries. They could be much more active predators than we first thought and feed on small/medium sized fish and crustaceans. That’s science talk for depths between 200 – 1,000m. Scientists have determined by muscle biopsy that the remainder is made from organisms dwelling in the mesopelagic zone. This will come as a surprise to most, less than 30% of their diet consists of surface plankton. Supporting great projects like Thailand Manta Trust is absolutely vital. Our giant manta rays in Thailand are not going to be replaced by others so it’s paramount that we protect them. Great for study but it does make populations more vulnerable to local hunting. Giant manta rays were tagged for 6 months in different locations, the tag data revealed a surprisingly small travel area of only a few hundred km’s. ![]() Populations are much more local than at first thought. It was long presumed that giant manta rays wandered 1,000’s of km around the worlds oceans but new studies suggest otherwise. So getting that big in that time is very impressive. They have a relatively short lifespan of 20 years compared to a whale sharks 100 years +. Even at birth the pups have a wingspan of over 1m which already makes them larger than most rays. ![]() Unsurprisingly giant manta rays (manta birostris) are the largest rays and can weigh over 1,000kg. That’s not normal but they still average a huge 5 – 7m with the females being slightly larger than the males. They’re big! The largest ever recorded had a whopping wingspan of 9m. If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to spend time with these enigmatic rays then you’ll know why. These giant ocean creatures are for many scuba divers the ultimate underwater encounter. The magnificent giant manta rays are regular visitors to Thailand but despite their enormous size can be difficult to find around Phuket.
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