Manta Snorkeling Nusa Penida Bali – When? Where? How Much?

The manta snorkeling in Nusa Penida was the part of our Bali holiday that we were the most excited about. A close encounter with these majestic creatures was the highlight of our trip, and now we share all the information you need to know about these giant creatures, including when, where, and how you can swim with them when visiting the Nusa Islands.

Nusa Penida Manta Snorkeling Overview:

• Manta rays can be seen year-round in Nusa Penida
• The best time to swim with them is the dry season between May and October
• The site where you can swim with them is called Manta Bay; it is located on the west side of the island
• You can visit this spot by joining a manta snorkeling tour
• Excursions can be booked locally or online
• Local tours depart from Crystal Bay and Toya Pakeh Habor
• Manta snorkeling day trips are also available from Bali and Nusa Lembongan
• Swimming with manta rays is not dangerous, however, you need to keep a safe distance from them
• This experience is recommended for advanced snorkelers, as the currents can be strong

Best Time To Go Manta Snorkeling In Nusa Penida

The good news is that there is no specific manta season in Bali. They are present all year round, thanks to the fact that the waters around Bali and the Nusa Islands enjoy the benefits of the Indonesian Throughflow. It is technically a massive volume of water (stream) that runs around the Indonesian archipelago from Timor to Bali.

This flow transfers the water from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean. It is the largest movement of water anywhere on the planet, meaning that the strait between Bali and Lombok enjoys fresh, nutrient-rich currents in all seasons.

Understanding this phenomenon explains why Bali snorkeling spots feature such vibrant marine life. And also, this is the reason why manta rays can be spotted all year round here!

Although it is possible to encounter these graceful creatures year-round, you should avoid coming in the wet season, between December and March, due to rough seas. The best time for manta snorkeling in Bali is the dry season between May and October, when you have the highest chance of bright sunshine and calm water. Locals say manta rays are the most active in the mornings, so most tours are scheduled accordingly.

Where Can You See Manta Rays In Nusa Penida?

The island’s southern coast is the best place to see manta rays in Nusa Penida. There are three specific points where they are regularly seen: Manta Bay, Manta Point, and Manta Viewpoint. The first one is a snorkeling spot, the second is a diving site, while the third one, as its name shows, is a viewpoint where you can observe them from the cliffs.

Sometimes, they swim into Crystal Bay and Gamat Bay, too, which are two of the most popular snorkeling beaches in Nusa Penida. You can encounter them at these places, but it is rare.

Manta Bay

Manta Bay is a relatively shallow bay on the west side of Nusa Penida. Here, manta rays swim near the surface and feed on the plankton that currents bring into the area. This is the place where most manta snorkeling trips will take you.

Tour organizers suggest visiting Manta Bay in the morning to see the most mantas. Therefore, it can get super crowded in the early hours of the day.

We think you should not skip the idea of going out for an afternoon trip as we saw many mantas later in the day too; you might be lucky to experience swimming with manta without the crowds!

Manta Point

Manta Point is one of the most southern dive spots on the island, surrounded by high cliffs. The water is approx. 15 meters (50 ft) deep here with tricky currents and often rough seas; therefore, this place is more suitable for scuba diving than snorkeling. This is a manta cleaning station where these majestic creatures come to rest above the shallower reef section while getting cleaned by smaller fish.

Manta Viewpoint

You don’t necessarily need to get wet to encounter these giant creatures; you can see them from land, too! Keep your eyes open while hiking or visiting viewpoints because you can often spot them when they swim near the surface.

The official Manta Viewpoint is on the left side of Broken Beach, the cliffs over Manta Bay. Generally, you have a chance to see them from all the viewpoints of the southern coastline. For example, we saw mantas from the cliffs at Kelingking Beach too!

Nusa Penida Manta Snorkeling Tours – Options And Prices

Whether you stay in mainland Bali, on Nusa Lembongan (the most popular Nusa Island), or Nusa Penida, several organizers offer manta ray snorkel tours locally and online.

The price depends on where you will start the tour: the most expensive ones are of course the manta tours from Bali mainland, while the cheapest option is to sign up for one locally when you are in Penida. Below, we collected the most important information on each version with approximate prices. However, note that prices are just approximated, except for the online tour prices.

Manta Ray Snorkeling From Bali

Manta snorkeling trips from Bali are usually full-day tours and stop not only in Manta Bay but also at some other Nuda Penida snorkeling sites. This is the most expensive and tiring option since you need to spend the whole on the boat.

Whole-day manta snorkeling Nusa Penida trips from Bali are available from 1.000.000 IDR (70 USD) with hotel pick-up, drop-off from most South Bali areas, soft drinks and lunch included.

Save time and pre-book it online, this trip has very good reviews:

If your schedule is tight, but you don’t want to miss swimming with manta rays, a day trip from Bali could be a good choice, but if your vacation itinerary is flexible, consider spending a few days on the island! There are so many things to do and attractions on the island so I’m sure you won’t regret it if you come for a longer time!

Nusa Penida Manta Bay Snorkel Tour

If you stay on the island, you can easily book a manta snorkeling trip locally. You can ask your hotel staff to sign you up for one or go to Crystal Bay or Toya Pakeh Harbor and find a seller. These are the two main places where trips depart from and arrive.

A 2 hours-long snorkel trip with two stops costs around 150.000-200.000 IDR (10-13 USD), while expect to pay between 300.000-400.000 IDR (20-25 USD) for a half-day trip with four-five stops included. Don’t be shy and try to haggle, you may get better a deal.

Should you prefer to book it online, we recommend this tour:

Tip: Organized tours usually provide gear, but we recommend having your own snorkel equipment.

Manta Trip From Nusa Lembongan

Should you stay on the nearby Lembongan Island, you can choose a half-day trip that includes manta snorkeling in Manta Bay plus one or two additional stops. This can be Crystal Bay or Gamat Bay in Nusa Penida, the Mangrove Point in Nusa Lembongan, or the Buddha Temple next to Nusa Ceningan, depending on the sea conditions and your tour provider.

Generally, locals use their traditional boats for such tours and take a maximum of 6-10 people. Trips usually start around 8 am and cost approximately 250.000-300.000 IDR (15-20 USD).

If you prefer to book it online, check out this Nusa Penida Snorkeling Day Trip from Lembongan:

Swimming With Manta Rays In Bali Nusa Penida – How To Prepare

Don’t Be Afraid Of The Mantas

Knowing that manta rays can grow up to 23 ft (7 m) and weigh about 6600 lbs (3000 kg) makes it easy to understand why many people think they are dangerous. But don’t worry; despite their massive size, manta rays are completely harmless to humans.

Bali manta rays are Reef Manta species (Manta alfredi) that are the second-largest ray species after Oceanic Manta with an average size of 9.8-11.5 ft (3-3.5 m). They are filter feeders, which means they feed on plankton, crustaceans, and smaller fish, and have small, non-sharp teeth only that they use to chew their food.

Mantas don’t have poisonous tail stingers, so swimming with manta rays is completely safe. They have the largest brains of all bony fish and enjoy interacting with humans, so it is not a surprise that snorkelers and divers often describe their manta snorkeling as their best experience.

Don’t Chase And Touch The Animals

Even if manta rays are not dangerous, you should not chase or touch them. First, you can damage their special mucus layer by touching them; this coating protects them from bacteria and viruses. Second, chasing them scares them away. Try to stay relaxed without splashing with your fins too much, so they might swim close to you.

Be Prepared For Strong Currents

I feel it important to draw attention to the dangers of the currents around the Nusa Islands. The ocean has great power and we need to take precautions when hitting the water (read our snorkeling safety tips if you haven’t had it yet).

These extreme currents mean you must be extra careful if you go swimming, diving or snorkeling here, especially if you are a beginner. The currents are probably the strongest I’ve ever experienced while snorkeling and can change rapidly.

After our tour, we agreed that our manta snorkeling Nusa Penida trip was like swimming in a washing machine because of the rough sea and strong currents. Therefore, while swimming with the mantas, don’t forget to watch out for the waves, keep a safe distance from the boats around, and stay away from the cliffs!

Never swim far from the shore, and always use good snorkel fins to help you return to the beach! If you are caught by a current and can’t swim against it, wave to nearby boats and ask for help. I rarely suggest signing up for organized trips over snorkeling from shore, but this is the safest you can do in Nusa Penida!

Know That There Can Be Debris In The Water

I wanted to dedicate a single section to the plastic problem. You have probably also seen videos of a manta ray swimming through massive plastic in Nusa Penida. I also watched it and felt so sorry for these magical creatures because I know how polluted the ocean is.

Plastic is a real problem in Indonesia, and so it is in the Nusa Islands. Many people complain about the rubbish after snorkeling in Manta Bay. We were lucky because there was no (very little) plastic on the days we went there, but we know it was pure luck and the plastic problem exists.

You find crystal clear water one day and a huge amount of debris the next; the explanation for these fast-changing conditions is the Indonesian Throughflow phenomenon. As mentioned, there are powerful currents around the island transferring water through the whole Indo-Pacific area, so nobody can predict what and when they will wash up onshore.

In most parts of Indonesia, there is no waste management. People don’t know what to do with plastic waste or how to recycle it. Usually, they collect and burn it (which is one of the worst things they can do since burning plastic releases toxins in the air), or it ends up in the sea after rain.

Hopefully, governments will soon realize the demand for urgent changes and develop a waste management strategy. But stopping the pollution is everyone’s responsibility. Do your best and minimize the impact on nature! Don’t litter and reduce the amount of plastic you use!

The Site Can Be Crowded

Swimming with manta rays in Nusa Penida has become popular in recent years. The number of boats and tourists visiting the bay is rapidly increasing, so you might end up being surrounded by tens of boats and hundreds of people while in the bay.

Unfortunately, there is no limit on the number of boats and visitors at the moment, so you need to be very careful when in the water. Try staying with your group and keep your distance from the boats.

Sightings Are Not Guaranteed

Manta rays are present in the area year-round, but you will never be guaranteed to see them. They are wild animals that migrate freely wherever they feel like following the plankton.

Boat captions always do their best to find them for you; they keep contact with other boats and inform each other about signings, so you may stop at a different spot than you originally wanted. Even if you don’t find them, don’t be sad; come back another day!

Our Manta Trip Experience – Personal Thoughts

As I mentioned in the introduction, the manta snorkeling Nusa Penida trip was the one we waited for the most in Bali. We came to the island with the decision that we wouldn’t leave until we managed to swim with manta rays, but we were not 100% happy after the experience.

Don’t get me wrong, of course, we felt extremely lucky to be able to swim with these peaceful creatures! But seeing that there is no restriction on the number of boats and snorkelers in Manta Bay makes us worried.

There is no designated area where boats should stop, leaving space for the mantas, meaning they always chase them. Moreover, the leaking oil from the boat engines makes the water that mantas filter even more polluted.

It was also sad to see how disrespectful some people are and keep touching the mantas. I know there is little we can do to change this situation except warn people who do so, but we hope that authorities will realize that they have to act to protect manta rays and preserve their feeding grounds.

This, of course, does not mean that it was a bad experience; we made unforgettable memories while swimming among these unique creatures, but the experience could have been improved if both visitors and locals practiced responsible snorkeling techniques.

When looking for a manta snorkeling trip, try to find an eco-tour operator that takes care of the environment! Educate your environment about respecting marine life and creatures. Take only pictures and leave a small footprint!

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