In the past year, we have experienced a roller coaster ride, from finally opening in January with two flights a month to getting our first divers from Switzerland to our first snorkelers from the US. We celebrated when the island received a weekly Tuesday flight, which helped with travel movement and resulted in a second weekly flight commencing in April. There are no words to describe how wonderful it is to be able to welcome people back to the island and to have the ability to provide jobs to the community. As a true believer in the power of dedication, I believe the essence of a strong busi ..read more

Mantas by day and blackwater by night. As the sun sets over the bay, we embarked on nightly explorations of the seemingly bottomless Yap Trench, a chasm that plumbs over 9,000 meters. Here, we encountered exotic denizens of the deep, creatures seldom glimpsed, in their untouched habitat. This experience transformed our perception of the ocean, unveiling its enigmatic depths. Wrap-up for BlackwaterFest 2023 Who was there? This inaugural BlackwaterFest was an exploratory endeavor. Mike Bartick, a trailblazer in blackwater diving, and his trusted associate, Bruce Schafer, affirmed that the myste ..read more

“Yeehaaa!” The resounding call for MantaFest marked the commencement of our 16th annual event in the idyllic surroundings of Yap, Micronesia. The first week was a harmonious blend of excitement, nostalgia, and eager anticipation for the adventures that awaited. Under the radiant sun and on tranquil waters, our first group of guests embarked on what promised to be an extraordinary Manta Fest 2023. They reveled in splendid weather, delightful cuisine, and the camaraderie that makes this event truly special. Our heartfelt gratitude extends to the distinguished photographers David Fleetham, Tim R ..read more

MantaFest 2023 We are extremely excited to be open again and have the privilege of welcoming back our friends and making new ones. The excitement just continues to grow with our upcoming 16th annual MantaFest (August 26 – September 9th, 2023) event and being able to have our photo/video pros back home with us along with all of our MantaFest family. We are fortunate to have our various sponsors continue their support of this event and are anxious to see which of you will be among the lucky winners for this year’s MantaFest. Please visit our website at mantafest.com to see what we have in store ..read more

Last month, I had the privilege of being the dive guide for a wonderful group of divers from the State of Utah. Mac Garrabrants, the owner of The Dive Shop, is a repeat guest and that always makes us feel very special as we know there are a lot of wonderful places in the world for divers to visit. When guests come back multiple times, we know we are doing it right. Also joining us was a special friend from Guam, Ms. Julie Hartup of the Micronesian Conservation Coalition and the founder of the Micronesian Islands Ecology Course (MIEC), in partnership with the Yap Catholic High School.  Ju ..read more

https://mantaray.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/gene-autry-back-in-the-saddle-again-v9.mp3A 3-Year Typhoon  I would be lying if I were to say to you that it’s been an easy three years.  I feel like the captain of a ship that has transited a typhoon for 3 years, but I am safely in port now.  I can’t properly express my feelings for how good it is to finally have guests back in the resort, guests on dive boats, and most importantly staff back at work.  The island of Yap and consequently the Manta Ray Bay Resort & Yap Divers has been completely closed since March of 2020 ..read more

EXCITING NEWS! Starting in April 2023, United will offer twice-weekly flights between Guam and Yap! The flights will be on Tuesdays & Saturdays. Flights (Tentative as of 12/31/2022) Departs Arrives Guam (GUM) Yap (YAP) – UA185 Tuesday @ 23:35 Wednesday @ 01:10 Guam (GUM) Yap (YAP) – UA185 Saturday @ 23:35 Saturday @ 01:10 Yap (YAP) Guam (GUM) – UA186 Wednesday @ 02:35 Wednesday @ 04:00 Yap (YAP) Guam (GUM) – UA186 Sunday @ 02:35 Sunday @ 04:00 Although we don’t know exactly when you will be able to start booking the April flights to Yap, we are excited that regular, commercia ..read more

Starting November 22, PMA has switched its weekly flights between Yap and Palau from Friday/Saturday to Tuesday/Wednesday. The NEW Tuesday/Wednesday schedule will connect with the Tuesday night flight to Manila or Guam, making it even easier to get to/from Yap! PMA (https://yapaviation.org), our local airline serving Yap’s Outer Islands for over 40 years, flies between Yap and Palau on a regular, weekly schedule which allows divers and non-divers alike to enter Yap via Palau or to combine Yap and Palau easily. We can’t wait to see you here in Yap! For flight times and information visit o ..read more

There is some very good news regarding airline service to/from Yap. Starting in October, PMA (https://yapaviation.org), our local airline serving Yap’s Outer Islands for over 40 years, will fly between Yap and Palau on a regular schedule which allows divers and non-divers alike to enter Yap via Palau or to combine Yap and Palau easily. We can’t wait to see you here in Yap! For flight times and information visit our Flight Schedules page: https://mantaray.com/media-more/flight-schedules/ For reservations, you can contact us! Just “Ask Bill!” and we can take care of your flight, your stay and y ..read more

https://mantaray.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/bills-update-17-clip.m4a A lot of our friends, including us, have been looking forward to the opening of the FSM borders, which was scheduled to happen on the 1st of August. However, due to a quick rise in positive covid cases on Yap from returning residents who proudly represented our island at the Micronesian Expo held in Pohnpei last month, resulted in Yap State implementing a government mandated 7-day quarantine for all travelers entering Yap. This mandate has since been rescinded by Yap’s Governor, the Honorable Jesse Salalu, on the 20th of ..read more