Manta Reef

Verified2026-09-24 checkedReefPelagic

Cleaning stations on a reef south of Tofo where reef mantas come in to be worked over, in a bay that also has whale sharks.

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Depth: 18–28 m59–92 ft
Difficulty: Intermediate
Entry: Boat
Typical current: Moderate
Coordinates: 23°55.536′S 35°32.634′E
Activities: Scuba

Manta Reef sits about forty minutes south of Tofo by boat, a flat-topped reef at 18 to 28 m with cleaning stations the mantas use year round. The routine is the routine everywhere: settle low, stay still, let the animal decide. Inhambane Bay is one of the few places with both resident reef mantas and whale sharks, and the whale sharks are usually found on the surface on the way out rather than on the dive. Launches are through the surf off the beach, which is memorable, and the Mozambique Channel can run, so this is not a flat-calm destination.

Boat launched through the surf at Tofo, near Inhambane; fly to Inhambane via Maputo.

Best season

ExcellentOct–Jan
GoodFeb–Mar
FairApr–Sep

Conditions

Water temperature: 25.5°C78°F
Wave height: 1.2 m4 ft
Air temperature: 23°C73°F
Wind speed: 12.2 km/h7.6 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 · 10/7

High01:100.95 m
Low07:10-0.60 m
High13:321.20 m
Low19:40-0.70 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

Reef manta rayMobula alfrediCommon
Whale sharkRhincodon typusOct–FebSeasonal
Bluestreak cleaner wrasseLabroides dimidiatusCommon
Giant morayGymnothorax javanicusCommon
Bigeye trevallyCaranx sexfasciatusCommon
Humpback whaleMegaptera novaeangliaeJul–OctSeasonal
Bottlenose dolphinTursiops truncatusCommon
Leopard (zebra) sharkStegostoma tigrinumCommon
Marbled stingrayTaeniura meyeniCommon
Feather starCrinoideaCommon
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.

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