Manta Ray Bay Hotel and the attached dive centre Yap Divers established in 1986 by Bill Acker, and rapidly became the worldwide mecca for divers wanting to experience guaranteed encounters with mantas. The islands themselves number about 80, only 21 of which are inhabited. The whole archipelago sprawls over an area the size of Europe, yet has a population of only 8000. The remoteness of the islands and the sparsity of the population mean that Yap is one of the last bastions for true Micronesian culture, unsullied by outside influences.

80% of the reefs of the islands remain unexplored, making the islands particularly irresistible.  In two large channels called O’Keefe’s Passage and the Valley of the Rays lurk the mantas, gliding with the changing tides and visiting cleaning stations the location of which has not changed for thousands of years.

The team sets out on its first dive to Valley of the Rays. The team entered the water into a fast racing current, before heading down to the cleaning station below.  It wasn't long before we saw our first manta appear through the gloom towards us - a gigantic shape soaring in the dense thermals of the current. One, then two, then three effortlessly graceful flaps of those gigantic wings, a soaring bank past a row of upturned faces and popping flash guns, and the manta was at the station directly above us.  After a minute or so, she disappeared back into the main current and was gone as quickly as she arrived.

Of course there is much more to Yap, and we had the chance to experience a range of dives during our stay, including some of the most striking hard coral.  The visibility is also tremendous, allowing you to view thirty to forty metres of tangled coral gardens that unroll before you like an angular buffet.  The manta rays of Yap are a sight that every one of us will never forget.

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