Stammtisch
Stammtisch is the German word and means a table in a pub or restaurant, for the locals - here in Yap - it is the resident manta rays. Dives here offer very close interaction with multiple manta rays in shallow water making it a very special experience. Yap State created the world’s first government-backed manta ray sanctuary in 2008 - the rays and their habitat are forever protected. Yap is home to hundreds of resident manta rays and due to the numbers and consistency of sightings, the island’s lagoons are a field research site for Manta Trust. Cleaning station manta ray interaction is a very special and personal experience. The mantas of Yap frequent these cleaning stations with divers every day and will come within inches passing overhead during a typical dive. Yap, with it’s protected manta ray population, is still one of the world’s special places where divers can interact with these animals on daily basis. The best manta show happens during their courtship displays where mantas dance over the reef and over the heads of divers in a mating train
When To Go Diving
Manta diving is year-round with a peak of activity during the mating season where the cleaning station is rich in action. December through April offers the most behavior and consistent interactions with multiple animals