Manta Cleaning Station (Fathers #3) Dive Site

Site Overview

Manta Cleaning Station (Fathers #3), within the Fathers Reefs (between New Britain & New Ireland) of Papua New Guinea, is one of the region's most rewarding dive sites and a highlight of any Coral Triangle diving itinerary. A reliable manta ray cleaning station where mantas hover to be cleaned, with reef sharks and eagle rays in the blue. Geographically the site features reef and ledge and cleaning-station formations built from coral and rock substrate, dropping from a shallow top of around 8 metres to a maximum depth of about 25 metres, with an average working depth near 15 metres. Visibility is typically excellent, ranging from 15 to 32 metres, while water temperatures hold between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius year-round. The marine life is the headline attraction. Divers routinely encounter Manta Ray (Mobula alfredi), Grey Reef Shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos), Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus narinari), Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides sp.), Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda), alongside dense reef fish, invertebrates, and the soft and hard corals that blanket the reef. The mix of nutrient-rich currents and Papua New Guinea's remote, well-protected reefs makes Manta Cleaning Station (Fathers #3) one of the most reliable places in the country to see both abundant macro life and large pelagic visitors on a single dive. Manta Cleaning Station (Fathers #3) is best enjoyed as part of a boat programme out of Kimbe, and it rewards wide-angle photographers, naturalists, and experienced drift divers alike. Papua New Guinea's strong community-based conservation ethos and remoteness help keep the reef pristine, so divers are asked to maintain exemplary buoyancy and respect the fragile marine environment at all times.