A New Year With Old Memories
A new year always gives us a fresh outlook at what it may bring and a sense of hope of the different possibilities that will present itself. A new year also brings about a little nostalgia of what has already passed and what once was; this is true for us in this year of 2026. We have hit our 40th year milestone this year and it has made my family, and I come to realize the adventurous road we have had to take to get to where we are today.
At least for us, it took the island of Yap to build our business, from our first Yapese employees who were some of the first PADI certified divers on the island, to the villagers that were the first tour hosts to our guests. We lucked out with the wide array of characters we had for employees that just added to our business’ uniqueness; but we’ve also had to say final goodbyes to a few of these employees that were undoubtedly the heartbeat of Manta Ray Bay Resort & Yap Divers.
This year’s milestone is dedicated to the employees and people that were part of the inception of our business, to all of our current employees, our lifelong friends that have helped during our journey and most importantly to my family.
40th Anniversary Special & Celebration
As a celebration of our 40th anniversary, we are offering a year long 40th Year Special which gives our customers four free nights for a two-week stay with us, allowing you to only pay for 10 nights with 8 days of diving. The special also includes select land-based activities to enjoy during your visit with us.
Although the whole year is our 40th year, we will be hosting a celebration week for this achievement in the summer from the 19th of July to the 25th, where we will have various events from traditional dances to reminiscent tours, heightened with awesome diving including blackwater diving and completed with a celebratory party bash at the end of the week.
The week will also be honoring Geri Murphy and her late husband Paul Tzmoulis, as well as Vikki Musto and her late husband Mike Musto. Both Paul and Mike, along with Geri and Vikki, were an integral part of the beginning of our business, and under their guidance helped me build the Manta Ray to what it is today. Their support has and will always be invaluable to me and my family, and we will spend a lifetime showing them the gratitude that we have for them.
What’s New on the Horizon
There are lots of events to look forward to this year besides the 40th party week, including – Yap Day (Feb.28 & March 1st, 2026) and the annual MantaFest Photo School Event (August 22nd – September 6th, 2026).
Summer in Yap
Summer always brings calmer weather to the island, allowing the possibility of diving all around the island. The season also proves to be a great time for all types of marine activity. We are proud to be the only dive shop in the FSM that offers Blackwater Diving and we will have this special diving activity available all through the summer months.
MantaFest Photo School
The fall season brings about our annual event, the MantaFest Photo School, where our photo pros excitedly share their knowledge with guests during the two-week event. We had a very successful event last year, with the return of a lot of our past participants and we were honored to have made new friends as well. This year’s event will be even better, with our returning photo pros and exciting daily dive plans.
Please visit our website at: mantafest.com to see what we have to offer for our event.
Yap Day 2027
Yap Day is always a “must see” event and the last couple of years have brought lots of visitors to Yap. It is always best to plan a year out to attend Yap Day to ensure you get in good diving and the chance to watch all the traditional activities.
Parting Shot
Buddy Hackett – A Guy Goes to the Doctor
