Between coral restoration sessions in Bali, Rob took a seat on a regular tourist boat to Manta Point off Nusa Penida. We wanted to see manta tourism the way most visitors do.
On the boat
There were about 15 of us and three crew, all Indonesian. Our boat wasn't alone. By the time we were in, there were roughly 40 snorkellers in the water from several boats.
Nobody briefed us on how to behave around the mantas. No distances, no "don't touch", nothing. Most people meant well, but good intentions aren't a code of conduct.
In the water
Three reef mantas were feeding, mouths wide open and head fins unrolled, filtering plankton from the water. Despite the crowd, they didn't seem bothered and kept feeding.
That was good to see. But mantas come to Manta Point for more than food. It's where adults visit cleaning stations and court, and researchers have recorded a sharp rise in boat traffic there. Stress from crowds and engine noise builds up over time, and you won't spot it on one trip.
Why this matters to us
Mantas rely on healthy reefs. The cleaning stations they visit are run by small reef fish, mostly wrasse, picking off parasites and dead skin. No reef, no cleaners, and no reason for the mantas to come.
It's a link we saw from the other side this month. Within days of planting corals on our CoralPods, wrasse were already working the pod surfaces. Rebuilding reef structure supports the small fish, and those small fish support the big animals people travel across the world to see.
Good manta manners
If you're heading out to see mantas, here's what a briefing should have covered:
- Keep a few metres away and let the manta choose how close it comes.
- Never touch. It damages the protective mucus on their skin.
- Don't chase, and don't block a manta's path or swim directly above it.
- Stay off the reef, especially near cleaning stations.
- Pick operators who brief their guests and limit group sizes.
Manta tourism keeps money in local hands and gives Indonesia every reason to protect these animals. With a five-minute briefing on every boat, it would be better still.
The Coral Centre: rebuilding reefs with the communities who depend on them.
Sources
- O'Malley, Lee-Brooks & Medd (2013). The global economic impact of manta ray watching tourism. PLOS ONE. Indonesia's US$15 million a year ranking.
- Germanov et al. (2019). Contrasting habitat use and population dynamics of reef manta rays within the Nusa Penida MPA. Frontiers in Marine Science. Manta Point vs Manta Bay use, 2014 national protection.
- Marine Megafauna Foundation. Nusa Penida manta ray nursery: tourists and fishers key to survival. Code of conduct, Manta Matcher photo-ID.
- Scubaverse. Tourists key to future of rare manta nursery. 60% rise in boats since 2012.
- Free Malaysia Today (2018). More revenue from letting manta rays roam the wild. Nusa Penida US$3.5 million a year valuation; US$500 value of a dead manta.