Mi'l Channel
Yap's classic winter manta site: a channel with a sandy rubble floor and vertical coral walls, crossed by Manta Ridge, a coral ridge that speeds the tide and creates a cleaning station. On an incoming tide it is a drift down the middle of the channel; mantas mate here from about December to April, and turtles, reef sharks, eagle rays and schools of jacks pass along the outer side. Current is barely perceptible at slack tide but can run up to about 6 km/h.
Facts
- Region: Micronesia – Yap, Pohnpei & Kosrae
- Area: Yap
- Depth: 15–30 m
- Level: intermediate
- Current: strong
- Type: channel, manta, drift
- Coordinates: 9.54081, 138.08799 (approximate)
- Highlights: manta rays, hawksbill turtle, grey reef sharks, eagle rays, barracuda, humphead parrotfish, hard coral, soft coral
- Permit: Yap's reefs and lagoon are held under customary village ownership, so diving needs the permission of the owning community, normally arranged by your dive operator. A 2017 conference presentation reported that operators pay villages access fees (e.g. US$300 per month for Goofnuw Channel, US$2 per diver at Stammtisch) and that other sites need permission but no payment. No official fee schedule could be found – ask your dive centre; the Yap Visitors Bureau can advise.
- Issuer / contact: Yap Visitors Bureau
- Phone: +691 350 5005
- Website: https://www.visityap.com
- phone from the Yap State Government notice; visityap.com blocked automated access, no official email confirmed; other notices list 350-2298
- Unverified: Position is approximate: no published GPS was found; the pin only places the site on the right part of Yap's reef (dive centre site maps are not machine-readable). Ask the dive centre for the exact mooring.
- Tips: Dive on the incoming tide and stay low near the ridge; keep clear of the mantas and do not touch the coral.