Ticao Island Manta Bowl

The Manta Bowl at Ticao Island is a submerged seamount that funnels plankton-rich currents past dedicated cleaning stations where reef mantas queue in numbers that regularly reach double digits simultaneously. Thresher sharks ascend from the deep in early morning, hovering at the shallower pinnacle tops to be serviced by cleaner wrasses in a scene eerily reminiscent of Malapascua. The site sits in open water with strong currents that demand an experienced diver, but reward with encounters that rival anything in the Philippines.