Ray
Giant oceanic manta ray
Mobula birostris
The larger of the two manta species, with a wingspan that can exceed 6-7m. Socorro is one of the few places in the world where giant oceanic mantas are reliably resident at cleaning stations year-round, and they're known here for approaching divers directly rather than keeping their distance.
- Max size
- Up to 7m wingspan
- Habitat
- Open-ocean cleaning stations around seamounts and pinnacles
Best places to dive with Giant oceanic manta ray
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | rare |
| February | rare |
| March | peak season |
| April | peak season |
| May | peak season |
| June | rare |
| July | rare |
| August | rare |
| September | rare |
| October | rare |
| November | rare |
| December | rare |
Long-term photo-ID recorded a concentrated March–May passage, often lasting only two to four weeks. Individuals are transient and usually remain for a day or two; timing varies between years.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | peak season |
| April | peak season |
| May | peak season |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Seen year-round but cited as peaking around April–May in the warm season.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | peak season |
| March | peak season |
| April | peak season |
| May | rare |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | rare |
| December | occasional |
Hin Daeng and Hin Muang are among Thailand's most reliable oceanic manta sites — a recognised aggregation area — with best odds during the Feb-April plankton season. Still never guaranteed.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | peak season |
| March | peak season |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | rare |
| July | rare |
| August | rare |
| September | rare |
| October | rare |
| November | rare |
| December | rare |
Black Rock is the site. Scientific dive surveys and citizen-science submissions logged 276 encounters across Black Rock and the Twins since 2011, with 216 individuals photo-identified and up to 28 in a single day; over 95% of those were at Black Rock. Operators report mantas from late January to early May with the best odds in February and March. Blank dives are common — this is not a guaranteed encounter, and the published numbers cover fourteen years of effort, not a single season.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Resident year-round at cleaning stations like The Boiler and Cabo Pearce — one of the most reliable giant oceanic manta encounters anywhere.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Seen through both seasons but more associated with the nutrient-rich rainy season (June to November). Sources do not give a sharp monthly peak, so coded occasional rather than a specific peak.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | rare |
| February | rare |
| March | rare |
| April | rare |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | rare |
| December | rare |
Much less predictable than the reef manta and effectively a south Komodo animal — Manta Alley is the site where operators report them, in current-driven conditions, and they are rarely seen at the central cleaning stations. Coded occasional over the southeast monsoon (May-October) to follow the same upwelling that concentrates reef mantas in the south, and rare otherwise. This is an operator-reported pattern rather than a study-backed one; the PeerJ photo-ID work covers reef mantas (Mobula alfredi) only.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | rare |
| February | rare |
| March | rare |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | rare |
| December | rare |
Mantas around Sharm are chiefly oceanic manta (Mobula birostris), seen as occasional summer visitors (roughly May to October) rather than reliably resident. A 2022 study recorded the Red Sea's highest individual count near Sharm, but encounters here remain occasional.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Both reef and oceanic mantas visit Tofo's cleaning stations. Oceanic mantas are the larger and less frequent of the two here.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | not seen |
| February | not seen |
| March | not seen |
| April | rare |
| May | rare |
| June | rare |
| July | rare |
| August | rare |
| September | rare |
| October | rare |
| November | rare |
| December | not seen |
Baa's Hanifaru aggregations are overwhelmingly reef mantas. Oceanic mantas are only rare visitors here; Fuvahmulah is the sole Maldives site they regularly visit. Kept conservative at rare through the wider aggregation window.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | rare |
| February | rare |
| March | rare |
| April | rare |
| May | rare |
| June | rare |
| July | rare |
| August | rare |
| September | rare |
| October | rare |
| November | rare |
| December | rare |
Occasionally reported at Nusa Penida, but the reliable mantas at Manta Point are reef mantas rather than the larger oceanic species.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | rare |
| February | rare |
| March | rare |
| April | rare |
| May | rare |
| June | rare |
| July | rare |
| August | rare |
| September | rare |
| October | rare |
| November | rare |
| December | rare |
Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported peak is applied.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | rare |
| February | rare |
| March | rare |
| April | rare |
| May | rare |
| June | rare |
| July | rare |
| August | rare |
| September | rare |
| October | rare |
| November | rare |
| December | rare |
Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported peak is applied.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | rare |
| February | rare |
| March | rare |
| April | rare |
| May | rare |
| June | rare |
| July | rare |
| August | rare |
| September | rare |
| October | rare |
| November | rare |
| December | rare |
Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported peak is applied.
Sources & last checked
Checked July 2026
Research is source-backed, but conditions and fees should still be confirmed locally.
View 4 sources and checking notes
- Socorro Diving (Revillagigedo): Best Time to Go, Giant Mantas, Sharks & Liveaboards, Bluewater Dive Travel
- Everything You Need to Know About Diving in Socorro Island, Infinite Blue Dive Travel
- Best Time for Diving the Socorro Islands, Nautilus Liveaboards
- Mobula birostris, Oceanic Manta Ray, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Note on the data: The IUCN Red List URL returns HTTP 403 to automated fetches (their site blocks bots/datacenter IPs) but resolves normally in a browser — verify manually rather than treating the 403 as a broken link. Note this species was uplisted from Vulnerable to Endangered; older sources may still cite Vulnerable.