19th Annual MantaFest Photography School

Yap, Micronesia, August 22 through September 6, 2026.

Since 2006, our MantaFest program has brought underwater photographers, both amateur and professional, to this small island and its protected reef to attend workshops, take tours of the island, compete for prizes, 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.

Blackwater Diving

We’re excited to continue blackwater diving as a part of MantaFest 2026. 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 19th Annual MantaFest in 2026, and let’s make this year’s event an unforgettable journey of creativity and discovery.

Top U/W Photographers & Seminars

Photography Training

Pro presenters are available daily for one-on-one appointments and will work with participants on any aspect of photography. Happy Hour (4:30pm – 5:30pm daily) is the official time when you can find all presenters on the Mnuw available to assist with photos/videos editing. Daily mid-afternoon seminars will be given by each presenter who will focus on several areas of their field of expertise.

David Fleetham

David is a National Geographic photographer, and one of the most published North American UW photographers. He shoots a Canon / Ikelite system and brings us his years of award-winning experience of photography and the ocean.

Seminars: TBD

• My Workflow: Photo Mechanic – Lightroom – Photoshop – Backscatter Exterminator – Topaz Labs (From RAW to TIFF)
• Fifteen (15) Reasons Why Your Photos are not Good Enough
• Wide Angle Underwater

Evening Presentations (Big Screen): TBD

• Camera and Strobe Maintenance
• Best of Yap, and around the World – Part 1
• Best of Yap, and around the World – Part 2

Tim Rock

Tim has been diving Micronesia since people have been diving Micronesia and brings his love of Yap and years of UW photography experience to Manta Fest who knows the ins and outs of shooting Yap and can be a big resource on-island.

Tim’s seminars: TBD

• Shooting with Action Cams including GoPro and 360 cameras
• Shooting in the Shallows of Yap
• Editing 360 videos

Evening Presentations (Big Screen): TBD

• Manta Fest 2023
• Yap, Magical Island
• Guam’s Manta Rays
• Across Micronesia

Frank Schneider

Frank’s photos have been published in many countries, including Germany, Italy, Spain, England, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Russia, Turkey and Croatia. Today he works with the two digital Nikon-SLR-cameras and original Nikon lenses.

Presentations & Seminars

Frank Schneider has been part of our annual festival since its conception. Frank will be attending this year’s event as our guest presenter and will be available every day to assist our guests with any camera skills they may need or even just to swap stories. He will also be more than happy to enhance your drone skills.

Logan Wood

Logan Wood is a cinematographer whose journey has led him from capturing adventures in the American West to exploring the world beneath the waves. As a Video Producer at Ikelite, he blends his passion for storytelling with adventure, creating content that educates and inspires an ever-growing community of underwater photographers and videographers. Logan’s work drops him in some of the most stunning environments to film, test new equipment, and hear first-hand how people are re-defining what it means to be a modern-day creative.

Seminars: TBD

• Underwater Cinematography: Settings and Shooting
• Exploring AI Tools for Better Underwater Photography
• Underwater Cinematography: Organizing and Editing

Evening Presentations (Big Screen): TBD

• Underwater Cinematics: Yap
• Underwater Cinematics: Raja Ampat
• Underwater Cinematics: South Africa

Logan is our Videography Expert who will provide help with video editing for anyone who requires support.

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.

 Check out the 2025 Winners

 Check out the 2025 Event Gallery

Best of MantaFest 2025

Phillip Seys

Manta Ray Wide-angle Closeup

Grand Prize: 7-Day Dive Damai Liveaboard Certificate

Photo Contest Categories

Brought to you by:

Our Travel Partners:

Past MantaFest events:

• MantaFest 2025, August 23-September 7
• 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