Makena Manta Night Dive
Maui · United States
Makena's manta night dive is one of Maui's most celebrated experiences, where resident reef mantas are attracted by dive lights that concentrate plankton into dense clouds just metres below the surface. Mantas perform barrel rolls repeatedly through the plankton column, their cephalic fins funnel-feeding mere inches from kneeling divers in a performance that has been running predictably at this site for over two decades. The shallowness of the site — mantas often feed at 5 to 8 metres — means extended bottom times and ideal photography conditions even on a single tank.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 15 m
Good for beginners
Current
Usually still
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
15 to 25 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
22 to 29°C
shorty or 3mm
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 22 |
| Vis (m) | 12 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Current | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Green Sea Turtle
Last confirmed Jul 1, 2026 · 300 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Brown Anole
Last confirmed Jul 3, 2026 · 272 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Black-Necked Stilt
Last confirmed Jul 5, 2026 · 242 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Day Octopus
Last confirmed May 1, 2026 · 14 records
Very likely
Most dives
Reef Manta Ray
Last confirmed Apr 25, 2026 · 2 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Devil Ray
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear