Vhale
Vhale Phinisi
The drift over the reef, and who decides
Updated 4 November 2026
Manta Point is the drift snorkel on the afternoon of day two of Vhale's 2D1N and 3D2N routes: the water runs strongly and you float for 30 to 60 minutes. Mantas are common and never promised, whale sharks are not on these routes, and the captain decides whether the water allows it.
Manta Point as a swimmer finds it
Manta Point is the last appointment of the second day and the one that depends most on a sea you do not control. Nobody anchors over one patch of reef here; snorkellers are carried along it by the current. The table gives the facts: a snorkel of 30 to 60 minutes, a depth of 3 to 15 metres, a strong current, a tide that matters, and a difficulty it calls moderate. That makes it the least forgiving stop on the voyage and the one most worth taking seriously.
Also known as Karang Makassar, it sits in the central park. The routes put it on the afternoon after Taka Makassar, and on the day the two stops can trade places, since tide and current set the order and the list does not.
Mantas and dragons: who promises what
Everybody wants to know what they will see, and the honest answer is that nobody knows. Mantas follow tide, plankton and current as they please, and meeting one is common enough to hope for and never guaranteed. A guest who boards Vhale for mantas and nothing else has booked a chance, and we tell you so before you pay.
The same cruise can show you a dragon at Rinca on the first afternoon and, with luck, a manta on the second. It can also show you neither. Whale sharks are not on Vhale's routes, and we will not borrow the name for a sales line. What is certain is the reef itself, the colour of the water over it and a day spent in it.
Real photo from a KEXI trip · 12 photos
Vest on, guide close, breathing slow
The snorkel gear is on board for every guest, and so are the life jackets. Confident swimmers can go without a vest and nervous ones wear it, but at this stop we ask everybody to put one on, because the water is deep and the current runs hard. On the open trip a guide is part of the seat. Aboard a private charter the guide is an add-on priced separately, and for this stop we would add one.
Breathe slowly, keep your arms close and let the current carry you. Fighting it wears you out and scares the fish. Anyone who would rather not get in can watch from the boat, which follows the drift.
Whether the current allows it is the captain's decision
The captain decides, and the decision is not up for negotiation. If the current is too strong for a party with young children or older swimmers, or if the tide makes the reef unsafe, he may take you to a calmer snorkel instead, and we would rather lose a stop than lose a guest. Weather and sea state change the order of stops and sometimes remove one, and nothing on this page is a promise about a particular day.
We cannot refund a manta that did not arrive, because we never sold one. What we sold is a voyage with a route, a crew of nine, snorkel gear and a captain who knows the water. Ask us how the current has been running and we will pass the question on.
FAQ
Is snorkel gear provided for the Manta Point stop?
Yes, snorkel gear is part of the fare and is on board for every guest, with life jackets. The drift is strong, so the crew recommends a vest for anyone who is not confident. On the open trip the guide is included, and on a private charter a guide is quoted apart on request. Gear for small children is confirmed in writing, so ask us.
Check availability — Vhale
Bookings for Vhale are made with the Komodo Explorer team in Labuan Bajo; the boat sails with its own crew of nine.