Raffles Cruise
Raffles Cruise
Manta Point is on the route; the mantas are the sea's decision
Updated 24 October 2026
Snorkel with manta rays in Komodo at Manta Point, which is on the Raffles Cruise route: the afternoon of day one on the 3D2N, day three on the 4D3N, and a choice on day two of the 2D1N. Whether mantas are there is the sea's decision, and no sighting is promised.
Manta Point on each sailing
On the 3-day trip Manta Point is the second of three snorkels on day one: Sebayur in the late morning, lunch, Manta Point, a snack, then Taka Makassar. On the 4-day trip it opens day three, with Taka Makassar, lunch and Mawan to follow.
On the 2-day trip there is a choice on day two: a sandy beach at Taka Makassar or snorkelling at Manta Point. You make that choice with the captain, who weighs the tide and the current.
A full day does not reach it. The tide can swap Manta Point and Taka Makassar in the running order, and the captain decides which comes first.
The snorkel: depth, current and the drift
Karang Makassar is the other name for Manta Point, in the central part of the park. The water is 3 to 15 m deep and the current is strong. The snorkel runs 30 to 60 minutes as a planning range, and the park data rates it moderate, for confident swimmers.
It is not a calm lagoon. The boat stays off the reef rather than holding one position over it. Swimmers float along the reef edge on the current, and the tender or the boat picks them up further down. The tide decides how hard the water runs, which is why the crew and the guide choose the time to go in.
Park data sits in the table below. Because of the current, a life jacket is advised, and so is a strong swimmer in the party.
- Best window
- morning
- Time ashore / in water
- 30–60 min
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Depth
- 3–15 m
- Current
- strong
- Tide
- Depends on tide
- Busiest months
- July, August, September
What it is not: wild animals: manta rays are common but never guaranteed · not a calm lagoon: currents can be strong and snorkelling is guided
Photo taken on a Komodo Explorer trip · 12 photos
Who goes in, and who waits
In the water, the crew and the guide set the time and the place. On the open trip the guide swims with the party: a confident swimmer drifts beside the guide, and a guest who is not confident wears a life jacket, which helps you float, and joins when the crew allows it. When the crew does not, that guest stays aboard, with the paddleboards and the deck until the others return.
Say plainly before you book if someone in your party does not swim. The first message asks for it, and the answer shapes the plan for this stop, the cabin and the day.
On a private charter the guide is on request, quoted separately. For a drift in a strong current, ask for one, or stay aboard at Manta Point.
When mantas are and are not there
Manta rays visit the park. No sighting is promised. Tide and current decide what appears, and nobody aboard can summon a ray. A snorkel with no mantas is still a drift along a reef.
Our park notes mark two manta seasons: December to February, then July to September. Those months also bring more rain or more wind, and no month turns a season into a promise. The when-to-go page has a line for each month.
Park entry costs a foreigner IDR 250,000 and an Indonesian citizen IDR 50,000 on weekdays, bought apart from the fare. The manta etiquette guide sets out how snorkellers behave when a manta does appear.
FAQ
Can you snorkel with manta rays?
Yes, if they are there. Manta Point is on the route, the snorkel is a guided drift along the reef, and the mantas are the sea's decision on the day. The crew and the guide choose the time to go in.
Is Manta Point safe for beginners?
It asks more than most stops. The current is strong and the park data rates it for confident swimmers. On the open trip a beginner wears a life jacket and joins beside the guide if the crew allows it; on a charter without a guide, stay aboard.
Are mantas guaranteed?
No. Manta rays visit the park. No sighting is promised. Tide and current govern what appears. What we promise is the stop on the day it is planned, and no animal.
How much time does the group spend swimming?
The planning range is 30 to 60 minutes. The crew and the guide call the time in the water from the current and the tide, and the drift ends downstream where the tender or the boat collects the group.
Which month is best?
Our park notes mark two manta seasons: December to February, then July to September. Those months also bring more rain or wind. No month promises a sighting, and the when-to-go page gives a line for each.
Check availability — Raffles Cruise
Raffles Cruise is booked through PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia. We arrange the pickup, take the payment and keep your booking in order. The boat sails with its own crew of 8.