cropped-50greatDivesc.jpg

L01_Raine_Island_Logo

Final (2)

DAN Slider (500x250) - 50 Great Dives

ocean-wide-images-480x240

3Islands-Banner-500x250px

globalballooning_slider2024

Final

Adrenalin_slider4

BE_Dk

Cressi_GIF_compressed

Abyss slider 500

Scubpro_logo_blueblack250

ApolloScubalogo

AUP 50 DIVES

PerthScuba_Banner (1)

ScubaBoSlider

Adrenalin_slider1

MANTA BOMMIE

North Stradbroke Island is visited every summer by graceful reef manta rays and docile leopard sharks.

The island is the largest leopard shark aggregation site in the World.

North Stradbroke Island, just off Brisbane, is known by the locals as ‘Straddie’, is the world’s second largest sand island. The largest sand island is K’gari (Fraser Island) to the north, and Moreton Island which lies between the two is the third largest.

In 1949, sand mining commenced on the island and became one of the island’s main employers and helped expand infrastructure, particularly the roads. Due to the environmental impacts of sand mining, the Queensland Government put a stop to sand mining in December 2019.

Now, eco-tourism is the island’s main economic driver.

Off the north end of North Stradbroke Island there is a series of rocky reefs amongst the sand which includes Manta Bommie, a cleaning station, mantas visit between November and April each year.

Manta rays are large pelagic filter-feeding rays belonging to the genus Mobula.

There are two known species: giant oceanic mantas, M. birostris, the larger species reaching seven metres (23’) and reef mantas, M. alfredi, which grow up to up to 5.5 metres (18’) across.

Unlike their stingray cousins, mantas do not have a stringing barb and are quite safe to dive with.

Scientists have fitted mantas with radio transmitters and tracked them for over 1,000 kilometres (620 mi), noting they reach depths in excess of 1,000 metres (3,300’).

Mantas are listed as vulnerable and gained international protection in 2011, their major threats include entanglement in fishing nets and pollution.

Only reef mantas visit Straddie and are often accompanied by one or two remoras (sucker fish) on the underside.

Reef mantas generally travel alone or in small groups of up to seven, but they have been seen in groups of up to 15 at Manta Bommie.

Diving with these magnificent gentle gliding creatures is an awesome experience. They are unafraid and curious, and can come into very close proximity.

Many divers have awesome face-to-face encounters!

Leopard sharks (Stegostoma fasciatum), also known as zebra sharks, can grow to a length of 2.5 metres (8.2’) and are quite harmless. They are nocturnal and easily spotted as they spend their day on the sandy bottom around Manta Bommie.

Manta Bommie also offers an incredible diversity of other marine life; grey nurse sharks, wobbegongs, bull rays, eagle rays, schools of pelagic and reef fish, plus an amazing array of coral, nudibranchs and other invertebrates.

Lucky divers may even meet dolphins and migrating humpback whales over the winter months.

Whilst the main attraction for divers on Straddie is the visiting reef manta rays and leopard sharks from November to May each year, the bommie is a memorable dive at any time of the year whether there are mantas or not.

Manta Bommie is truly one of Australia’s best kept diving secrets!

Special thanks to Manta Lodge & Scuba Centre Team & Kylie Taylor of Straddie Brewing Co.

Copyright © 2024 Steve Sinclair

Other great dive sites to visit while you are there:

Turtle Cave, Shark Alley, Sunken Reef, Boat Rock and Middle Reef.

Local dive services:

Other services:

	BLAST EXPERIENCES www.blastexperiences.com.au  callum@blastexperiences.com.au   +61 (0) 408 950 889