Moofushi

The plateau tops out at around 5 metres and drops away to a ledge at 20, with a large coral block on its east side between 12 and 20 metres. Groups drop in from the boat, circle the plateau looking for mantas, then settle by the block where the cleaning station works. In a gentle current the mantas swoop over the station and divers follow them slowly. In a medium-to-strong current the descent goes to about 20 metres, then divers work up onto the plateau at around 14 metres and hook onto the reef, watching the animals hover overhead for as long as their air allows. Some dives extend into a drift along the reef wall. Whitetip and grey reef sharks work the edges and Napoleon wrasse are regular company.

Reef mantas (Mobula alfredi) return to this one coral block to be cleaned, and cleaner wrasse go over their gills and bellies while divers hang on the reef a few metres away. Because the station is fixed and shallow, the encounter comes to you: you settle in, and the animals pass overhead close enough to brush past. Counts swing widely. Five or six mantas is common, one dive logged fifteen, and another dive held seven or eight swooping around the station.

Current decides this dive. A reef hook earns its place on the plateau, and steady trim keeps you on the block when the water picks up. The strong-current drop is the one to respect: a diver on the first dive of her trip, separated from the guide, came close to running out of air. Keep the guide in sight from the descent. When the mantas hover, stay low on the reef and keep your bubbles clear of the station.