Dive-site story
Yonara Channel separates Iriomote and Kohama islands, famous across the Yaeyama archipelago as the Manta Way. Divers drop into a wide sandy channel floor where reef manta rays hover over scattered coral bommies to feed and visit cleaning stations. Strong tidal currents sweep through this passage, requiring confident buoyancy control and quick negative entries directly onto the seabed.
Cruising reef manta rays hovering over sandy cleaning stations
Expansive white sand bottom dotted with coral outcroppings and garden eel colonies
Dynamic drift diving driven by powerful tidal water movement
Location
Use the map to plan with your operator and confirm the exact entry point on the day.
Seasonality
Manta ray encounters peak through autumn, winter, and spring as tidal water pushes plankton through the passage.
Marine life
| Species | Likelihood | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reef Manta RayMobula alfredi | Seasonal | ||||||||||||
| Spotted Garden EelHeteroconger hassi | Common | ||||||||||||
| Whitetip Reef SharkTriaenodon obesus | Common | ||||||||||||
| Dogtooth TunaGymnosarda unicolor | Rare |
Marine forecast
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