Diving With Mantas In Komodo National Park

There comes a moment, when you’re ten metres below the surface, face into a driving current, hanging on by a finger to your divemaster’s fin and doing your best to avoid the stinging fire coral just inches away, that you wonder whether you’re actually ready for the sometimes challenging reality of diving in Komodo.

But then you glance over your shoulder, and you’re rewarded with one of the most enthralling sites the underwater world has to offer: a huge reef manta ray, almost within touching distance, majestic in the current as a host of cleaner fish give it a body polish.

We’re at Manta Point, one of Komodo National Park’s most famous dive sites (for obvious reasons), and also one of its fantastically enjoyable drift dives, where you can drop into a fairly shallow stretch of rubbly reef, drift along with the current and enjoy the show.

We’re travelling to the vibrant reefs of Komodo, off the island of Flores in Indonesia, with the crew of Wunderpus Diving, aboard a beautiful, 25-metre traditional wooden phinisi sailing boat.

While our good ship Wunderpus (named for the extraordinary octopus that mimics other sea creatures) is an elegant reminder of the past, everything about the boat’s design caters to the modern diver, with cosy, practical ensuite rooms, two decks for relaxing, and a diverse menu that showcases the talents of the boat’s cook and his mastery of a ship’s tiny galley.

The Wunderpus can comfortably accommodate eight guests, meaning small group dives and lots of space. With just five divers and a divemaster-in-training on our trip, more often than not, we have a divemaster for just the two of us.

The World Heritage Komodo National Park covers a stretch of island archipelago and marine territory west of Flores spanning more than 1,800 kilometres. Several of its islands are home to the famed Komodo Dragon, which we seek out during a guided walk on the island of Rinca.

The park hosts more than a thousand species of fish, 260 species of coral and around 70 species of sponge. And while the gentle reef mantas rightly top many divers’ ‘must see’ list, the chance to encounter dugongs, dolphins, turtles and a variety of sharks, including the elusive whale shark, makes this one of the best diving destinations on the planet.

While it’s not our turn for whale sharks (despite one being spotted at one of our dive sites just days earlier), and the resident dugongs have other places to be during our visit, our five-day cruise and fifteen dives around the pristine reefs of Komodo’s central and northern stretches leave us with no shortage of highlights, some of which we’ve captured below.

Mobs of Mantas

Shy and solitary sharks

Chilled out turtles

Many-coloured nudibranchs

An abundance of tropical fish

Vibrant, healthy coral reefs

Impressive Dragons

With so much to see under the water, Komodo Dragons above it, a five-star traditional sailing boat, outstanding crew, and the beautiful island of Flores to explore, our Komodo experience is one we won’t soon forget.

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Good to know

Getting here: Komodo National Park can be accessed by boat from Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores in Indonesia, where you’ll find a wide choice of companies offering everything from day trips to multi-day excursions.

When to go: Choosing a time to visit Komodo depends on your interests. Diving conditions can vary significantly between the northern and southern parts of the national park, and currents can be challenging, so it’s worth contacting your preferred diving operator to discuss your interests, experience level and needs. We chose October for our visit as it was a good time for mantas while also being slightly quieter with less visitors. However dive conditions meant we were only able to dive in the central and northern parts of the park.

Who to go with: There are a huge number of dive operators in Labuan Bajo, ranging from high-end boats with few guests to budget options that pack the day divers on. It pays to research the options. We opted for a 5-day/4-night trip aboard the Wunderpus with Wunderpus Diving due to their excellent reviews and high staff-to-guest ratio. Wunderpus also has a sister boat, Mimic, which offers daily diving and budget liveaboard options.

Around Flores: If you’re looking for a less touristed destination with volcanoes, mountains, rice paddies, jungle, empty beaches, traditional villages…Flores awaits. The best way to see the island is with a local driver/guide, an opportunity to get off the main road and beyond the usual sights. We enjoyed a week-long trip with Flores local Sipri Muda, travelling from Labuan Bajo across the island to Moni and Ende, an amazing experience.