Manta Scramble

Verified2026-09-11 checkedReef

Coral bommie cleaning stations off Kabira where reef mantas queue in shallow water.

Depth: 8–20 m26–66 ft
Difficulty: Beginner
Entry: Boat
Typical current: Light
Coordinates: 24°27.660′N 124°7.740′E
Activities: Scuba · Snorkelling · Freediving

Sitting in about 15 m off Kabira Ishizaki, the bommies here host cleaning stations that reef mantas visit through the season. The shallow depth gives long bottom times, which matters because the encounter is a waiting game. Divers kneel on sand well back from the bommie. Peak season runs late summer into autumn.

Twenty to thirty minutes by boat from Kabira Bay, Ishigaki.

Best season

ExcellentAug–Oct
GoodNov
FairMar–Jul
FairDec

Conditions

Water temperature: 28.6°C83°F
Wave height: 1.3 m4 ft
Air temperature: 24.8°C77°F
Wind speed: 19.1 km/h11.9 mph

Updated 2026-10-07 16:15 UTC · Source: Open-Meteo

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0)

Conditions are reported for information only. Assess the site yourself and follow your guide and your training.

No live conditions for this site yet.

We only show numbers we can attribute to a source.

Sea state and tide

On a date

Tide · 10/8

High04:561.73 m
Low11:180.35 m
High17:331.73 m
Low23:340.50 m

Forecast heights against mean sea level. Real tides in a bay, a harbour or over a flat can differ — check an official tide table before you get in.

Pick a day to see its tide

Only wave height and wind are scored, because those are what close a boat ramp or a shore entry. Water temperature is reported and never scored: 12°C is an ordinary dive in a drysuit and punishing in a 3 mm, and a number that cannot see your suit has no business marking it down. Stars do not decide whether you get in — you and your guide do, on the day.

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0)

Marine life you may see

Blacktip reef sharkCarcharhinus melanopterusRare
Bluestreak cleaner wrasseLabroides dimidiatusCommon
Reef manta rayMobula alfrediJun–NovSeasonal
Green turtleChelonia mydasSeasonal
Clark’s anemonefishAmphiprion clarkiiCommon
Raccoon butterflyfishChaetodon lunulaCommon
Staghorn coralAcropora spp.Common
Bluestripe snapperLutjanus kasmiraCommon
Moorish idolZanclus cornutusCommon

From divers

What people who were in the water reported. Not a forecast, and not a judgement about whether the site is safe to dive.

No recent reports from divers. If you dived here in the last two weeks, you can say how it was.

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How we check

Kabira Manta ClubUnverified
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