MantaFest 2025
18th Annual MantaFest Photography School
Yap, Micronesia, August 23 through September 7, 2025.
MantaFest 2025 will begin in
Book before March 31, 2025 and receive a complementary room upgrade!
Since 2006, our MantaFest program has brought underwater photographers, both amateur and professional, to this small island and its protected reef to compete for prizes, attend workshops, take tours of the island, and experience the unique culture of Yap, which is considered to be among the best preserved in the Pacific region.
Daily Dive Trips
Daily dive trips provide opportunities to dive with and photograph the manta rays, sharks, and the plethora of small, colorful tropicals such as the brightly colored mandarin fish and many more wonders of Yap’s underwater world.
Photography Workshops
At MantaFest, workshops are led by experts in the field providing their knowledge of all things related to taking better pictures including, but not limited to composition, lighting, and photoshop. They also offer advice during sessions with local models in settings that include the island’s unique stone money banks and traditional dance performances.
The experts will be happy to teach you the basics and then have you join them on the boat for personalized hands-on experience.
New for 2025: Blackwater Diving
We’re excited to introduce blackwater diving as a new addition to MantaFest 2025. Dive into the mysterious depths at night and witness a whole new world of alien-like creatures and other fantastical marine life. This thrilling experience has become a favorite, and we’ll be incorporating it regularly throughout the event, especially during the non-tradewind season.
Join us for the 18th Annual MantaFest in 2025, and let’s make this year’s event an unforgettable journey of creativity and discovery.
Top U/W Photographers & Seminars (tentative)
David Fleetham
Seminars:
- My Workflow – Photo Mechanic – Lightroom – Photoshop – Topaz Labs
- Histograms
- Shooting at Night
Tim Rock
Tim’s seminars:
- Shooting in the shallows – Tips & techniques for shallow water
- Can do “Getting started in print & e-books”
- Getting started with GoPros
Frank Schneider
Frank’s seminars:
- Topside Photography – “Creating the perfect image”
- Harmony of light – Ambient & Strobe – “The easy way”
- Get in Focus! At the computer at the latest – with the real McCoy
- Noise Cancelling
Logan Wood
Seminars:
- Underwater Video Editing Techniques
- Topside Filming & Editing Techniques
- Workshop on shooting timelapses
- Filming and setting up the camera for video and then one that’s focused on postproduction editing on the computer.
Photo Contest
Although our annual MantaFest Photo School is all about learning, improving your U/W photography skills, fun, meeting new friends, and discovering Yap’s underwater and topside beauty, you also have the chance to win some amazing prizes. From Live-Aboard Scuba Trips to gift vouchers to dive gear and many more. With prizes worth more than $20,000 our annual MantaFest program is one of the world’s highest-valued, resort-based U/W photo contests you can participate in.
Best of MantaFest 2024
Ken Sutherland
Sharks Over-Under (Spit Shot)
Grand Prize: Live-Aboard Scuba Trip by Odyssey Adventures Truk Lagoon
Photo Contest Categories
| Digital SLR | Compact Camera | Video | Beginner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Animals | Big Animals | Best Submission | Best Submission |
| Behavior | Behavior | ||
| Land/Culture | Land/Culture | ||
| Fish/Creature Portrait | Fish/Creature Portrait | ||
| Open/Creative | Open/Creative |
Brought to you by:
Our Travel Partners:
MantaFest 2025 Schedule (tentative)
Week 1
Sunday, August 24th
- 11:30AM Meet Your Dive Crew
- 1:00PM Dive Departure
- 6:30PM Welcome Meeting, Official MF kick off
Monday, August 25th
- 8:00AM Dive Departures Begin
- 3:30PM Afternoon seminar
- 4:30PM Happy Hour with Presenters on Mnuw
- 8:00PM Media Presentation at the Crow’s Nest
Tuesday, August 26th
- 8:00AM Dive Departures Begin
- 3:30PM Afternoon seminar
- 4:30PM Happy Hour with Presenters on Mnuw
- 8:00PM Media Presentation at Crow’s Nest
Wednesday, August 27th
- 8:00AM Dive Departures Begin
- 3:30PM Afternoon seminar
- 4:30PM Happy Hour with Presenters on Mnuw
- 8:00PM Media Presentation at Crow’s Nest
Thursday, August 28th
- 8:00AM Dive Departures Begin
- 4:30PM Happy Hour with Presenters on Mnuw
- 3:30PM Afternoon seminar
- 8:00PM Media Presentation at Crow’s Nest
Friday, August 29th
- 8:00AM Dive Departures Begin
- 3:30PM Afternoon seminar
- 4:30PM Happy Hour with Presenters on Mnuw
- 8:00PM Media Presentation at Crow’s Nest
Saturday, August 30st
- 8:00AM Dive Departures Begin
- 3:30PM Afternoon seminar
- 4:30PM Happy Hour with Presenters on Mnuw
- 8:00PM Media Presentation at Crow’s Nest
Week 2
Sunday, September 31st
- 10:00AM Dive Departures Begin for NEW GUEST ARRIVALS
- 3:30PM Afternoon Seminar
- 4:30PM Happy Hour with Presenters on Mnuw
- 6:30PM Welcome Meeting, Second Week MF kick off
- 8:00PM Media Presentation at Crow’s Nest
Monday, September 1st
- 8:00AM Dive Departures Begin
- 3:30PM Afternoon seminar
- 4:30PM Happy Hour with Presenters on Mnuw
- 8:00PM Media Presentation at the Crow’s Nest
Tuesday, September 2nd
- 11:00AM Departure for Beach BBQ
- 3:30PM Afternoon seminar
- 5:30PM Mandarin Dive
- 7:00PM Night Dive
- 8:00PM Media Presentation at Crow’s Nest
- 9:00PM Blackwater Dive
Wednesday, September 3rd
- 8:00AM Dive Departures Begin
- 3:30PM Afternoon seminar
- 4:30PM Happy Hour with Presenters on Mnuw
- 8:00PM Media Presentation at Crow’s Nest
Thursday, September 4th
- 8:00AM Dive Departures Begin
- 3:30PM Afternoon seminar
- 4:30PM Happy Hour with Presenters on Mnuw
- 8:00PM Media Presentation at Crow’s Nest
Friday, September 5th
- 8:00AM Turn in Contest Entries
- 9:00AM Dive Departures Begin
- 7:00PM Awards Presentation at Crow’s Nest
Saturday, September 6th
- 7:00PM MRBR event photos
Pencil in these future MantaFest dates:
- 2026 August 22-September 6
Our MantaFest 2024 Photo School & Contest packages include:
- Hotel room w/late check-out
- 2-tank dive days
- One (1) Mandarinfish Dive Included
- One (1) Night Dive Included
- One (1) Blackwater Dive Included
- Free NITROX
- Participation in photo contest
- Seminars and workshops
- Happy Hour one-on-one sessions with the photo pros
- Evening Media Presentations
- Shark split photo opportunity
- Land/culture photo opportunities
- Beach BBQ
- 1/2-day land/culture tour
- Local dinner
- Breakfast
- Roundtrip airport transfers
- Free Wi-Fi
- Hotel Taxes
- Wake-up service with coffee or tea delivered to your room
Package Prices
| Duration | Standard | Ocean View | Deluxe Ocean View |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 nights / 5 dive days | $2,229 | $2,319 | $2,669 |
| 14 nights / 11 dive days | $3,829 | $3,959 | $4,529 |
Getting to MantaFest 2025
We are pleased that United has twice-weekly flights to Yap from Guam (GUM) on Tuesdays & Saturdays. Most major airlines have flights that connect to Guam. Or, if you are in Palau, there are regional flights with PMA from Palau to Yap.
Visit our Flight Schedules Page for more details. And, of course, you can always Ask Bill! or drop us an email at bill@mantaray.com and we will make all of your flight arrangements for you!
Past MantaFest events:
- MantaFest 2024, August 24-September 8
- MantaFest 2023, August 26-September 9
- Closed for 3 years for COVID-19 Pandemic (no MantaFest ☹)
- MantaFest 2019: Event Workshops Winners
- 2018 MantaFest Winners: Champions DSLR Winners Compact Winners