This dive site, Manta City Point, located near Kabira-Ishizaki in Ishigaki, Japan, is globally renowned as an exceptional manta ray cleaning station. Divers typically access the site by boat and navigate around the cleaning station, which is a specific area where smaller fish remove parasites from mantas. The site offers depths ranging from 5 to 25 meters, providing ample space for divers to observe the majestic mantas as they gracefully hover.
The primary attraction at Manta City is, as its name suggests, the manta rays, which frequent the cleaning station in high numbers. Beyond these magnificent creatures, divers can also encounter green turtles, the distinctive Napoleon fish, intriguing giant cuttlefish, schools of gurukuns, and various rooted fish, contributing to a diverse and vibrant marine ecosystem.
Manta City is particularly suitable for divers of all experience levels, including beginners, due to its manageable depths and the high probability of manta sightings. The best time to visit for observing mantas is generally from May to November, when these gentle giants are most abundant. Both snorkelers and freedivers will find this site highly rewarding, as mantas often ascend to shallower depths, making for memorable surface encounters.
