Wildlife· Maupiti· French Polynesia — Society Islands
Maupiti Manta Ray Cleaning Station
16° 28.4′ S · 152° 15.0′ W · approximate
Reef mantas come in to be cleaned on coral heads in 2-10 m of clear water just inside Onoiau Pass, across from Motu Pitiahe, sometimes more than a dozen at a time. It is the reason most boats risk the pass.
Practical
Coordinate from Snorkeling Report's map of the station (approx). OSM contributors also mark manta spots at -16.46096, -152.24297 and -16.46683, -152.25271, which matches ISRA's finding of two main cleaning sites in the lagoon. Depth 2-10 m (Snorkeling Report, updated May 2023). ISRA: Mobula alfredi (Vulnerable); groups of 4-5 are common from July to November and up to 11 have been seen, with cleaning recorded in 96.6% of observations. The station is inside a no-navigation, no-anchoring zone (arrêté 1335 CM, 2013). Leave the yacht in the ZMR de Manuea and swim or dinghy to the edge of the zone, or go with a pension boat trip or Maupiti Diving Club. Rules: never touch, don't dive down onto the rays in shallow sections, and keep your distance. Current near the pass runs outward, so stay up-current and keep a dinghy attendant.
Best for
Snorkelling with reef mantas
Season
Year-round; aggregations most common Jul–Nov (ISRA)
Nearby
- Maupiti Manta No-Navigation ZoneRight here
- Motu Pitiahe & Motu Tiapa'a Beaches0.2 NM away
- Motu Pitiahe Anchorage0.2 NM away
- Tiapa'a Stingray & Blacktip Shallows0.4 NM away
- ZMR de Manuea (Maupiti)0.4 NM away
- Maupiti Large-Yacht Zones (arrêté 399 CM 2026)0.7 NM away
- Maupiti Pass Season & Manta Season0.8 NM away
- Maupiti Manta Dive (Maupiti Diving Club)0.9 NM away