Princess Nabila
Princess Nabila Phinisi
Manta Point snorkelling in Komodo: a drift for confident swimmers
Updated 12 October 2026
Manta Point is a drift snorkel on day 2 of the Princess Nabila 3D2N, after lunch, entered from the tender. The current is strong, so the stop suits confident swimmers and a life jacket is advised. Mantas are common and never guaranteed. Only the open trip includes the local guide. Mask and snorkel are supplied, fins are not.
Sort the swimmers before the trip
Manta Point is the one stop that can leave a guest out, so plan it around the weakest swimmer in your 25, not the strongest.
Ask every guest one question before you sail: how comfortable are you in moving water? Build two lists from the answers. One holds the confident swimmers. The other holds guests who want the drift and would rather wear a life jacket for it.
Life jackets are on the boat's printed safety list, and guests in our photographs wear orange and yellow-green vests. Give the second list the same briefing as the first, so nobody feels placed in a smaller group. A guest who changes their mind on the day moves from one list to the other. Send both lists to us before you sail.
- Best window
- morning
- Time ashore / in water
- 30–60 min
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Depth
- 3–15 m
- Current
- strong
- Tide
- Depends on tide
- Busiest months
- July, August, September
What it is not: wild animals: manta rays are common but never guaranteed · not a calm lagoon: currents can be strong and snorkelling is guided
What a drift asks of a party of 25
Nobody anchors in one spot here. Snorkellers enter at the top of the reef and the current carries them along it. The printed route calls the stop a "Manta Point drift from the tender", and that is the whole method: in from the tender, along with the water, out at the end.
The table gives 30 to 60 minutes for the stop. A full group needs several trips of the tender, and that time comes out of the same window. Plan with the full hour and keep the afternoon after it loose.
Look at the note in the table, which says the snorkelling is guided. That holds on the open trip, where the local guide is included. On a private charter the guide is a separate line, so ask for it when you ask for the quote if your group wants one in the water.
The boat supplies mask and snorkel. Fins are not supplied. Bring your own pair if you want them in a current.
Taken on a real Komodo Explorer trip · 12 photos
The tide, and the order with Taka Makassar
Sightings follow the tide and the current. That is why Manta Point and Taka Makassar swap places on the day, and why the printed route lists the pair as interchangeable. The captain sets the order.
The table gives morning as the best window for Manta Point in general. On this route both stops fall after the buffet lunch, so the tide matters more than the clock, and a changed order is the tide at work and not a fault in the plan.
A private 2D1N reaches Manta Point as the last stop of its second day and leaves Taka Makassar out. A private 3D2N and the open trip include both, 20 to 30 minutes apart.
Months, sea state and the park ticket
The season data rates mantas as peak in December, January, February, July, August and September. Those months are also among the roughest on the water. January, February, July and August are rated rough, while September and December are moderate. If your group includes older or nervous guests, look at the two moderate months first.
Mantas are wild, so no month carries a promise. A group that was promised a manta and sees none was misled by whoever made the promise.
Snorkelling is covered by the park entry ticket, which is IDR 250,000 per person per day for a foreign visitor. Ranger and pier charges are separate.
FAQ
Are mantas guaranteed in the peak months?
No. The season data rates December to February and July to September as peak for mantas, and sightings still follow the tide and current on the day. Mantas are common at Manta Point and never guaranteed, so sell the drift and not the animal.
How long is the drift at Manta Point?
The stop runs 30 to 60 minutes. A full group goes in from several tender trips, and that time sits inside the same window. Allow for it when you plan the rest of the afternoon.
What decides whether Manta Point or Taka Makassar comes first?
Sightings at Manta Point follow the tide and current, and the Taka Makassar sandbar shows only at low tide. The captain sets the order on the day. The two stops are 20 to 30 minutes apart.
Do guests need fins for the current?
Not needed: the drift moves with the current rather than against it. A strong kicker may want a pair for it, and the boat does not supply any, so that guest brings their own. Anyone unsure in moving water wears a life jacket instead.
Which month is calmest for the manta stop?
Among the manta months, September and December are rated moderate for sea state, while January, February, July and August are rated rough. April to June, October and November are calmer overall, with mantas rated fair.
Check availability — Princess Nabila
Princess Nabila sails with its own crew, and PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia handles the booking, the payment and the trip file.