Senada Phinisi
Senada Phinisi
The current stop, taken in turns
Updated 26 October 2026
Manta Point Komodo snorkeling with a group is a drift along a reef in a current, on day 2 of the Senada Phinisi route. Confident swimmers go in with a guide and a life jacket, in turns. Mantas are common in season and never promised.
The stop and its reputation
Manta Point goes by a second name, Karang Makassar, and lies in the central part of the park. Its reputation is the manta rays that glide over the reef, and its reputation is bigger than the stop. Plan 30 to 60 minutes of snorkelling in moving water above a reef that is 3 to 15 metres deep.
Manta months, at their best: December to February, then July to September. Even then, wild animals are not on a schedule, and mantas are common but never guaranteed.
On day 2 of the 2-day and 3-day routes the stop comes last, after Taka Makassar. Tide and current decide what you see, and they can also swap the order of the two stops that day.
The frame of a manta on the page comes from an open trip in Komodo. It shows what the stop is known for, and it is not a promise.
- Best window
- morning
- Time ashore / in water
- 30–60 min
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Depth
- 3–15 m
- Current
- strong
- Tide
- Depends on tide
- Busiest months
- July, August, September
What it is not: wild animals: manta rays are common but never guaranteed · not a calm lagoon: currents can be strong and snorkelling is guided
Current, depth and who goes in
This is not a calm lagoon. The current is strong, the stop depends on the tide, and the snorkelling is guided. The guide drifts the swimmers along the reef with the current, and the group does not anchor in one spot.
The level here is for confident swimmers. Because of the current we advise a life jacket, or at least one confident swimmer in the group. Life jackets are on board for everyone.
Who goes in, and where, is the guide's call. A non-swimmer, a small child or an anxious grandparent can stay on the boat, in the canoe or on the deck, and watch the others come back. Ask the group first: who wants the current, and who would rather not?
Photo taken on a Komodo Explorer trip · 12 photos
A group in turns
A group of 12 does not drift as one. Let the confident swimmers go first with the guide, and let the next group go in when the first is back.
Take turns with the gear, too. Pass the snorkel along, count heads at the start and count them again when the swimmers climb back. The person at the back of the line is the one the guide counts last.
The turns are the group's way of doing the stop together, and those who sit this one out have a good view and the rest of the day.
The turn does not take as long as it sounds, and the afternoon is long.
The part that is not ours to promise
Whether mantas appear, how deep it is, how clear the water is and which stop comes first all belong to the sea. After the sea come the captain and the guide, who choose on the day whether the group goes in, where and when.
A group that books for the mantas books for the chance. Season helps (July to September, December to February), but it counts for nothing on a day when the current is wrong or the tide is high.
If the stop is dropped for safety, the day still holds the beach and the sandbank, and the captain says why. Should the boat be unable to sail at all, the terms decide it, and the group gets another phinisi of the same class or above on the same dates with nothing extra to pay, or a full refund within 14 days.
What we do promise is the life jackets and the gear.
FAQ
Will we see mantas?
We cannot promise it. Mantas show up often in the seasons of December to February and July to September, yet a sighting is never promised. The tide, the current and the sea decide, and the captain and the guide decide on the day whether the group goes in.
Is the current strong?
Yes. Manta Point is not a calm lagoon. The current is strong, the stop depends on the tide, and the guide drifts the swimmers along the reef. Behind the advice is the current. It asks for a life jacket on everyone who is unsure, or one strong swimmer in your group.
Can non-swimmers go?
The stop is for confident swimmers, so the guide decides who goes in. A non-swimmer can stay on the boat, in the canoe or on the deck, and the shallow stops on the same day, such as Pink Beach, suit a life jacket well.
Can children go?
Children go only if the guide agrees on the day, with a life jacket and a confident adult. Because of the current, small children can stay on the boat for this stop and swim at the shallow ones instead.
Is it on every route?
Yes. It is on day 2 of the 2-day, 3-day and 4-day routes, after Taka Makassar. The two can swap on the day, since the tide and the current decide which comes first.
Check availability for Senada Phinisi
Senada Phinisi is booked through PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia. We confirm your cabins, take the payment and arrange the pickup. The boat sails with its own crew of 7.