Manta rays at Ishigaki
When mantas are seen off Ishigaki, the main sites, how tours handle them and what operators publish, with the sources disagreeing where they do.
The short answer
Mantas live around Ishigaki all year, but the reliable window is summer into autumn. Visit Okinawa says July to mid-October gives the best chance (Visit Okinawa). Other sources give wider seasons: April to November for Manta Scramble (Visit Okinawa dive sites) and May to October from one dive operator (Prime Scuba). Ask your operator about the current week before you book.
Snorkel or dive?
Both work. The mantas visit cleaning stations, so they come to fixed spots. Manta City Point has its cleaning station at 7 to 9 m in a 15 to 20 m site with almost no current (Ishigaki Island Tours), and a published manta snorkel plan puts its point at 5 to 10 m (plan 571). Snorkelers look down from the surface; divers kneel on the bottom and watch at eye level. If you are certified, the dive is the better view. If not, snorkel.
Where the mantas are
- Manta Scramble, off Cape Kabira Ishizaki. Boat dive, max depth 25 m, little current, beginner level (Visit Okinawa dive sites).
- Manta City Point, northwest. The other main April to October site (Ishigaki Island Tours).
- Winter (November to March). North winds push snorkel trips south to Kuroshima and the Panari area (Ishigaki Island Tours).
- Not Kabira Bay. It is only the departure point for tours, and swimming there is prohibited (Ishigaki Island Tours).
How to behave
One dive operator's rule: settle on the bottom and watch; do not chase, touch, block or swim over a manta (Prime Scuba). It is an operator rule, not law, and it is also how you get the longest encounter.
What it costs
As published on 3 Nov 2026: a manta snorkel plan at 9,900 yen per person, ages 6 to 65, 1 April to 30 November, about 3 hours, minimum 4 people, dropping to 6,000 yen if the point cannot be reached (Ishigaki Island Tours). A 4-hour Kabira manta dive with 2 dives is listed at 19,800 yen (Ishigaki Island Tours).
Find a tour
Tour operators set their own prices, seasons and rules; check them on the booking page.
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Every fact on this page links to its source; all were checked on 3 Nov 2026.