Dive Review of Manta Ray Bay in
Micronesia/Yap

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Manta Ray Bay: "Great diving without the crowds", Jan, 2025, by Hugh E Aaron, FL, US ( Sr. Contributor 28 reports with 21 Helpful votes). Report 13315.
Photos Submitted with this Report Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Trip Overview This trip, which started on January 1, 2025 and ended on February 5, 2025 involved four stops, two of which were dive destinations. The first stop was Taiwan, where we spent a few days touring Taipei independently and then did a five day organized bus tour exploring the rest of the country. Taiwan exceeded our expectations with great food, friendly people, a great transit system and many nice cultural/natural sights. It is a great place for a stopover when traveling to destinations in Asia. Our second stop was Palau. China Airlines, the Taiwanese carrier, has good service from Taiwan directly to Palau. After about 10 days diving in Palau, we flew PMA (a local carrier) from Palau directly to Yap. The PMA flight is very convenient. However, PMA may not show up on Google flights and similar flight planning websites. To book PMA, visit their website directly or ask your dive operator in Palau to help you. PMA provides great service. The ticket includes 40 pounds of luggage, including carry-ons. However, additional luggage is only one dollar per pound. After 10 days diving in Yap, we flew United from Yap to Guam. The schedule for that flight is terrible. It leaves Yap at 2:30 am and arrives Guam around 4 am. We had pre-booked booked an Airbnb in Guam starting the day before our 4 am arrival. That way, we were able to go directly to our Airbnb and try to get some sleep rather than having to wait until the usual check-in time. I have posted separate Undercurrent reviews for both Palau and Yap. I did not do reviews for Taiwan or Guam because we did not dive in either of those destinations. There are numerous diving areas in Taiwan. However, Taiwan is far enough north that the water in January would have been too cool for us. The water temperature in Guam, on the other hand, was comfortable in early February. However, we had only planned three full days in Guam and were hesitant to get our gear wet. Plus, we got the sense that the diving in Guam may not be as good as Palau and Yap. Based on those considerations, we decided to just snorkel and tour in Guam. We snorkeled two different shore entry sites and enjoyed them both. Our first site was Yapo beach, which is arguably the nicest beach in Guam. Our second site was the “Piti Bomb Holes,” which I think are just natural deep spots close to shore. Both YAPO Beach and the Piti Bomb Holes are marine protected areas with healthy coral and nice fish. The snorkeling in both places was pleasant. In hindsight, it might’ve been nice to explore the Diving in Guam. Maybe next time. When planning a similar trip, it is important to know that the flights to and from Palau a ... Subscribe to get the full story. Active subscribers continue reading here
Websites	Manta Ray Bay
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Virginia, North Carolina, California, Hawaii, Florida, Abaco, Bimini, Exumas, Most Caribbean Islands including the Windward, Leeward and ABC Islands, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Roatan, Belize, Thailand, Australia, Egypt, Bali, Raja Ampat, Maldives, Fiji, Palau, Yap
Closest Airport	Yap	Getting There	San Francisco > Taiwan > Palau > Yap
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, rainy, cloudy	Seas	calm, choppy, surge, currents, no currents
Water Temp	84-84°F / 29-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	50-80 Ft/ 15-24 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Stay with guide, but very relaxed.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	Squadrons
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	There were no facilities on the boat other than a rinse tank. However, the on-site dive shop has a large room of fully equipped workstations. I ne ... Subscribe to get the full story. Active subscribers continue reading here

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Dive Review of Manta Ray Bay in Micronesia/Yap

Manta Ray Bay: "Great diving without the crowds", Jan, 2025,

Photos Submitted with this Report

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Manta Ray Bay in
Micronesia/Yap