Miyakojima Manta Diving: Manta Hospital Season, Location and Sightings

Last updated: 2026-05-12

Miyako Island's first manta ray cleaning station, "Manta Hospital," has opened to the public.

Hello everyone, this is Totti.

In early March 2025, we at BIGHOLIDAY discovered the first manta ray cleaning station in Miyako Island. It was located at a depth of about 25 meters near Ikema Island. It was an area where I used to go snorkeling with the staff on my days off, and I had always wondered if there might be a cleaning station down there. After more than six months of repeated site surveys, coordination with relevant parties, and the establishment of rules, it was officially opened to the public on November 11, 2025. The point is called "Manta Hospital".

Until now, manta ray diving in Miyako Island mainly involved "accidentally encountering manta rays while they were feeding." But with the discovery of the manta ray hospital, it's now possible to wait for manta rays at a cleaning station at a depth of 25 meters, the same style of diving as in Ishigaki and Kume Islands, and this has opened up new options for diving in Miyako Island. This is truly exciting news for me.

The origin of the name "Manta Hospital"

There's a reason for this name. I received an email from Rikako Ozaki of the Manta Project Team at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), and it contained this passage:

Cleaning stations are special places for manta rays. Like spas and beauty salons, they are places where they can get cleaned and socialize. But most importantly, they function like hospitals. Manta rays that are injured or unwell visit the stations, where cleaner fish remove old skin, parasites, and necrotic tissue, keeping their wounds clean and accelerating their recovery.

When the keyword "hospital" came up, I thought, "Ah, I see." For manta rays, the cleaning station isn't just a place to stop by, but an important place where they come to heal. I've been diving in this ocean for 20 years and have seen manta rays' wounds heal many times, but I never knew there was such a mechanism behind it.

I brought this idea to the Sea Area Coordination Committee of the Miyako Island Diving Liaison Council and proposed the "Manta Hospital," which was approved and officially decided upon. We divers are in the position of visiting the manta ray hospital. We want to operate this dive site with the mindset of not doing anything that the manta rays dislike and gently watching over them from a distance.

When is the season at Manta Hospital?

Here's a summary of what we learned from our research spanning over six months.

Manta rays visit the cleaning station for approximately four months, from December to March. Research has shown that the likelihood of manta rays visiting this point is extremely low from April to November. In summer surveys, there have been no actual encounters with manta rays. The number is almost zero in November as well.

Manta rays begin to gather in December, significantly increasing your chances of seeing them. January and February are the most reliable times to see them. From March onwards, the number of manta rays gradually decreases. The start and end dates vary from year to year, so if you want to be sure to see them, December to February is recommended.

Why only in winter? Manta ray behavior patterns

The reason lies in the manta ray's diet.

This area off Ikema Island is a prime feeding ground where plankton begins to accumulate on the surface around December. It has long been known as an area where you can enjoy watching manta rays on the surface while snorkeling. Even the staff at BIGHOLIDAY used to go snorkeling there on their days off to play with the manta rays. In fact, after visiting this area many times myself, I became convinced that "if so many manta rays come to the surface, there must be a cleaning station below." That was the trigger for the discovery of the manta ray hospital.

The research revealed that manta rays feed on plankton at the surface, then descend to a slightly deeper cleaning station (25m deep) where cleaner fish clean them. During the research, we actually witnessed four manta rays simultaneously rise to the surface from the cleaning station and begin feeding on plankton. I still remember that sight vividly.

The highest priority for manta rays is "feeding," as stated by Rikako Ozaki of OIST. In other words, manta rays come to this area in winter when plankton gathers, and receive cleaning in between feedings. After spring, plankton no longer accumulates, so the manta rays themselves stop coming to this area. This is how the season works.

Location and sea conditions of the manta ray hospital

Manta HospitalTowards Ikema Island It is in

There's one thing I'd like you to know here:Points vulnerable to northerly windsThat's the thing. The manta ray season, from December to March, falls during the winter months when northerly winds are common, so it's not a spot you can go to every day. You can visit when the sea conditions are right, such as on days when the easterly wind is light, the northerly swell is small, or the wind suddenly shifts to the south.

It's not that we can't go at all, but even during the best season, our stance is to "go on days when we can go." At BIGHOLIDAY, we've decided to go whenever we can. If we check the sea conditions every morning and decide "we can go to Ikema today," we head straight to Manta Hospital. If you're coming, please let us know if you have a request.

Manta ray encounter opportunities other than Manta Hospital

Just because the Manta Hospital has reopened doesn't mean that manta ray experiences in Miyako Island are limited to that location only.

In the Irabu Island and Shimoji Island areas, it is rare to encounter passing manta rays while diving during the same period as the Manta Hospital, from December to March. Manta rays have also been sighted off the southern and eastern coasts of Miyako Island, Yabiji, and around Kurima Island. However, these are chance encounters with migrating manta rays and do not occur year-round.

At Manta Hospital, you wait for manta rays at a cleaning station at a depth of 25 meters. In other areas, encounters are still based on chance, as in the past. These two styles are the options for manta ray diving in Miyako Island.

Collaboration with a world-renowned manta ray authority and a GPS tag survey project

The discovery of the manta ray hospital led to a collaboration with the manta ray project team at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST). The rules and operational policies for viewing the manta ray hospital are based on the scientific expertise of this team.

Leading the team isDr. Mark ErdmannHe received his PhD in Coral Reef Ecology from the University of California, Berkeley.Conservation International (CI)I served as Vice President of the Asia Pacific Ocean Program for 20 years. From July 2025Re:wildHe has moved to ReShark and is currently working as its Executive Director and Shark Conservation Director. He is a world-renowned marine biologist who has described 217 new species in fish taxonomy, published 272 scientific papers, and authored 6 books. He has conducted GPS tagging surveys for manta rays in various countries, including Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, and Okinawa. In Raja Ampat, Indonesia, he conducted a GPS tagging survey at a spot where manta rays had stopped coming due to too many divers, and based on the results, he formulated viewing rules. Currently, it is possible to observe manta rays stably.

Project LeaderRikako OzakiHe is enrolled in the OIST doctoral program and is part of the global manta ray research community.Manta TrustHe is also a member of the world's No. 1 diving instruction organization.PADI Ambassador DiverHe also serves in this capacity. He established the "Japan Manta Project" as a base for manta ray research in Japan and presents research findings at academic conferences. The insight that "cleaning stations are like hospitals for manta rays," which is the origin of the name Manta Hospital, was also given to us directly by Mr. Ozaki.

In Miyako Island, a project has started this winter to attach GPS tags to manta rays and investigate their usual behavior. I myself am participating in the project and was present at the site where the tags were actually attached. We plan to post updates on the progress on YouTube.

Expectations for the discovery of a second and third cleaning station

What I'm most looking forward to in this GPS tag project is...Possibility of finding a second and third manta ray cleaning station.

Miyako Island is located in a very large area of ​​ocean. To the north lies Yabiji, known as "Japan's Great Barrier Reef," and areas where manta rays appear are scattered around Kurima Island, Irabu Island, and Shimoji Island. I don't think it's possible that there's only one cleaning station in such a large area.

If the GPS tag survey is successful, it wouldn't be surprising to find five or even ten new cleaning points at once. There's also the possibility that we won't find anything, but I feel this project has a lot of potential if we continue the survey over many years.

Manta ray diving in Miyako Island has just begun.

Manta Ray Viewing Rules | Supervised by Dr. Mark Erdman

The viewing rules at the Manta Hospital are based on scientific evidence from OIST and supervised by Dr. Mark Erdman, a world-renowned authority on manta rays. For manta rays, the cleaning station is a vital place where they can safely come to heal themselves. It is operated under appropriate rules to ensure that divers do not threaten the manta rays.

For specific rules, please ask your dive shop/guide when you dive in Miyako Island. Previously, rules at manta ray points in Japan had to be established without sufficient evidence, but this time, the rules are based on the scientific knowledge of the doctor and Rikako Ozaki. We can confidently guide you here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. When is the best time to see manta rays in Miyako Island?

The season for seeing manta rays at the manta ray cleaning station, "Manta Hospital," is approximately four months, from December to March. The best season is from January to February, during which manta rays visit consistently. December is when manta rays begin to gather, and their numbers gradually decrease in March. Encounters with passing manta rays in other areas, such as Irabu Island and Shimoji Island, also occur during the same period as at Manta Hospital, from December to March. They are not seen year-round.

Q. What is Manta Hospital?

This is a manta ray cleaning station that BIGHOLIDAY first discovered in Miyako Island in March 2025. Located at a depth of approximately 25 meters near Ikema Island, it is a place where manta rays come to have their bodies cleaned by cleaner fish. The name comes from a statement by a researcher at OIST (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University) that "cleaning stations are like hospitals for manta rays." Totty proposed the name to the council, and it was officially approved. It was officially opened to the public on November 11, 2025.

Q. How are the manta rays around Miyako Island different from those around Ishigaki Island?

Ishigaki Island has multiple cleaning stations, making it possible to observe manta rays with a high probability throughout the year. Miyako Island's Manta Hospital is only open from December to March, and because the site is susceptible to northerly winds, it's not possible to go every day. However, a GPS tag survey is underway in collaboration with world-renowned manta ray researcher Dr. Mark Ardman, which holds the potential to discover second and third cleaning stations. Manta ray diving in Miyako Island is poised for further development.

Q. What are the chances of seeing a manta ray?

If the sea conditions are suitable for Manta Hospital during the best season (January to February), you have a very high chance of encountering manta rays. However, the dive site is susceptible to northerly winds, so there are many days in winter when it's not possible to go. Securing a stay of 2-3 days or more increases your chances of finding a day with suitable sea conditions. BIGHOLIDAY operates with the policy of always taking visitors to Manta Hospital on days when it's possible.

Q. If I want to see manta rays, what should I tell them when making a reservation?

Please request a visit to Manta Hospital when making your reservation. If your reservation is made during the season (December to March), we will take you to Manta Hospital on a day when sea conditions permit. January to February is the best season and is highly recommended. However, we cannot go on days with strong northerly winds, so we recommend a multi-day stay.

Articles you should read before making a reservation

For diving reservations in Miyako Island during manta ray season, please feel free to book through the BIGHOLIDAY homepage.

Totty — BIGHOLIDAY Owner's Guide

I've lived in Miyako Island for 21 years (since 2005). I specialize in fun diving. I select Miyako Island's three major dive sites more than 150 times a year, and I've done about 20,000 dives in Miyako Island. YouTube "Totty / scuba diving" shares Miyakojima diving information with more than twelve thousand subscribers.

Since 2023, we have been among the top-ranked Marine Diving Award winners for three consecutive years.
2023 Japan Coast Guard Director-General's Award (for meritorious service in maritime rescue)
Discoverer of Miyako Island's first manta ray station in 2025