Manta Ray Bay Hotel, Yap, Micronesia

HOTEL AND RESORT REVIEWS

Page Four

Manta Ray Overhead
©Hillary Bloom, 2005

The main goal of my trip was to see the resident Manta Rays. Unfortunately, during most of my dives, the water in Mi'l Channel (the location of the mantas' winter cleaning station) was very murky. It was on my last day of diving that I finally saw several mantas. They swam overhead as I knelt in the sand 70 feet below the surface. Mantas come to the cleaning stations where small specialized reef fish eat the tiny parasites attached to their skin. Small mantas are generally eight feet from wingtip to wingtip while larger rays have wingspans up to 14 feet across.

Yap's outer reefs are made up of more than 200 species of hard and soft corals that are home to many tropical fish including the lionfish, clownfish and crocodile fish -an exciting sight. Make sure you dive at Rainbow Reef in the early-evening to watch the beautifully-colored mandarin fish. Photographing them was a challenge, as these two-inch long fish darted about very quickly.

For non-divers, the hotel offers kayak tours of the mangroves along with cultural, land and walking tours. The hotel provides transportation to and from the island's beach along with a picnic lunch and drinks. Yap is a great place to relax, enjoy the sea breezes, read a book, take a nap, or swim. Yap does not offer discos, bars, or shopping. It is a very safe island and I felt at ease wherever I went.