Take a journey through the wonders of Yap. From stone money, to cultural dances, to Yapese "highways", to traditional fishing and anciant mariners, you will be sure to experince the richness of Yapese life.
Yap is belived to have been settled by a seafaring people from the area today known as eastern Indonesia and the southern part of the Philippines sometime around 1500 B.C.
Yap is probably best known among non-divers as the Land of Stone Money. Up to 12 feet in diameter these massive stone discs rate, without competition, as the largest coins in the world.
The Yapese have managed to maintain their ancient culture better than anywhere else in Micronesia. The heritage and traditions of the Yapese people are carefully nourished to preserve the Micronesian way of life.
Bill Acker, founder of the Manta Ray Bay Resort and Yap Divers, is proud to share his love of Yap and diving with guests from all over the world. A resident of Yap for almost 30 years, Bill is eminently qualified to make your Micronesian dive experience one that you’ll never forget. Bill and his family own and operate the Manta Ray Bay Resort & Yap Divers.
Welcome to The Manta Ray Bay Resort. We are a small, 4-star resort located on the wonderful island of Yap in Micronesia. Enjoy your stay in our luxurious, individually themed rooms. Delight your tastes at our floating restaurant, the Mnuw Restaurant and Bar. Dive in to adventure with our expericed dive team. Relax into bliss at our Taro Leaf Spa. Welcome to paradise.
Our resort offers many different package and activities for everyone to enjoy the wonders of Yap. From our hotel & diving packages to island tours to kayak adventures to spa treatments, our resort offers packages individually tailored to you.
There are many special times to visit Yap and the Manta Ray Bay Resort, like Yap Day, MantaFest, and during the manta ray mating season. Plus, we have partnered with the best resort operators and vessels in the region to offer truly unique and luxurious experiences.
The Mnuw is the most unique restaurant and bar in Micronesia if not the world. She is a 170ft (55m) Phinisi schooner from Indonesia with 3 dining decks, 2 bars and her kitchen all on board.
The Manta Ray Bay Resort was built FOR divers, BY divers. Our harborside dive center, Yap Divers, has everything you’d expect from a PADI 5-star facility and SSI Platinum Dive Center, and so much more. Yap Divers is a full-service facility with modern boats, rental gear, dive shop, camera bays, gear rinse and storage.
The Taro Leaf Spa takes the best of everything that is Yapese to bring you an experience that will, relax, energize, invigorate, revitalize and harmonize you.
Come experience all that Yap has to offer. From exclusive, world-class diving to vibrant mangroves to pristine beaches to a fascinating history to a rich, anciant culture, Yap truly is a wonder to behold.
Serving only 1,000 divers a year, we offer our guests crowd-free dive sites and VIP service. Yap has a resident population of manta rays and several shallow cleaning stations where divers can see mantas year-round. And, Yap is more than just mantas! We have great blue water diving, shark diving, wall diving, critter diving, black water diving and large schools of big game fish!
Among the mangroves you will go were none can go but by kayak. There are no roads, no way to bring a powered boat in and no habitation, there is but you and nature. This is the perfect way to explore one of the few ecosystems on this planet that remains untouched by man.
Imagine looking over the side of the boat into ink blue water so clear that you can see fish swimming 100 feet below you. Imagine being on a boat 20 yards from the edge of the reef, looking across the turquoise colored lagoon to the verdant, green tropical island in the background. You cast your lure into the surf breaking on the edge of the reef and then boom – a huge black Giant Trevally comes from the surf line and attacks your wooden bait. The fight is on.
The Manta Ray Bay Hotel’s Concierge staff offer a complete range of land tours specifically designed to showcase the unique island culture of Yap. Everything from the famous stone money and stone money banks, to traditional thatched roof men’s houses, centuries old stone paths which are still used to connect the various villages, to the flora and fauna.
On Yap you can spend all day on a private beach with your partner, dive buddy or group in the village with no one else around. We arrange private beach trips, group events, parties and BBQs.
The Taro Leaf Spa takes the best of everything that is Yapese to bring you an experience that will, relax, energize, invigorate, revitalize and harmonize you.
Here you will find out the latest goings on in Yap, photo galleries of visiting pros and visitors alike. Plus, a library of wallpapers for your desktop and mobile devices.
We have completed another year with our fair share of ups and downs, but we overcame and ended 2024 successfully. Our success in 2024 was made possible by all our guests, new and old friends, and of course our amazing staff, who are the heart and soul of our company. And, you can see what's in store for 2025!
Throughout the years we have been honored to host several top professional photographers and videographers. From Paul Tzimoulis to William "Bill" Macdonald. From Marty Snyderman to Andy Schumacher. From David Doubilet to David Fleetham plus many, many more. We are very honored to be able to share some of the images captured in Yap by these great friends.
Imagine the thousands of divers who have visited us over the years. Now imagine the wonderful memories they captured via photographs both above and below water. We want to share these with you and ask you to consider posting your memories of Yap and the Manta Ray Bay Resort & Yap Divers.
We know it can be a daunting task to book travel to Yap with diffeent time zones, the International Date Line and often confusing flight schedules. Let us help you make getting to Yap a warm, tropical breeze. Ask Bill!
Here you will find the latest information about the latest on flights to Yap. There are both international and regional carries currently servicing the island. And, for flight help you can always Ask Bill!
Só feras na MantaFest 2017! Veja esse show de imagens produzidas pelos participantes nesse evento único de Yap que fica melhor a cada ano!
Primeiro Lugar dSLR
BIG ANIMALS – Sheila Ott
Prêmio: Regulador Mares Carbon, MV Octopus & Instrument Mission 1
MACRO – Axle Weber
Prêmio: Regulador Mares Abyss, MV Octopus e mostrador Instrument Mission 1
CULTURA – Brad
Prêmio: BCD Mares Prestige, Lanterna Light & Motion Gobi Torch e faca Force Bat Titanium
CENA DE RECIFE – Judy
Prêmio: BCD Mares Bolt SLS, lanterna Mares EOS 7rz e faca Force Bat Titanium
COMPORTAMENTO – Judy
Prêmio: Cupom de Presente Ikelite de US$500 Ikelite e faca Force Bat Titanium
Segundo Lugar dSLR
BIG ANIMALS- Sheila
Prêmio: luz Sola Light & Motion 1200
MACRO – Mike Smith
Prêmio: BCD Mares Pure SLS e lanterna Ikelite Gamma
CULTURA – Brad, Garota com lei (colar de flores)
Prêmio: Computador de Mergulho Mares Matrix e estojo de iPad Pelican Slim
CENA DE RECIFE – Ken
Prêmio: Computador de Mergulho Mares Puck Pro Color LM, lanterna Ikelight Gamma e nadadeiras Avanti Quatro
Terceiro Lugar dSLR
COMPORTAMENTO – Ken
Prêmio: Mochila Mares Cruise DRY, lanterna Ikelite Gamma flashlight, estojo de iPad Pelican e máscara Liquid Skin Sunrise
BIG ANIMALS – Ken
Prêmio: Snorkel Mares e faca McNett Utility
MACRO – Judy, Caranguejo-eremita e coral
Prêmio: Protetor de SmartPhone Galaxy e camiseta Henderson
CULTURA – Axle
Prêmio: Protetor de SmartPhone Galaxy e camiseta Henderson
CENA DE RECIFE- Ken
Protetor de SmartPhone Galaxy e camiseta Henderson
COMPORTAMENTO – Judy
Prêmio: Lanterna Ikelite Gamma flashlight e camiseta Henderson
Primeiro Lugar Câmeras Compactas
BIG ANIMALS – Pierre Mineau
Prêmio: Regulador Mares Fusion, Octopus MV e console Instrument Mission 1
MACRO – Pierre Mineau
Prêmio: lanterna Light & Motion Gobi e cupom de presnete Ikelite de US$ 500
CULTURA – Pierre Mineau
Prêmio: Cupom de presente Ikelite de US$ 500 e lanterna Mares EOS 4rz
CENA DE RECIFE – Ann Donahue
Prêmio: lanterna Ikelite Gamma , computador de mergulho Mares Smart Dive e mala de mergulho Mares Voyager Dive Bag
COMPORTAMENTO – Pierre Mineau
Prêmio: nadadeiras Mares Power Plana, mochila Mares Cruise Back Pack Pro, lanterna Mares EOS 7rz e kit de primeiros socorros Sting Kit
Segundo Lugar Câmeras Compactas
BIG ANIMALS – Woody, Manta
Prêmio: nadadeiras Mares Wave OH, máscara Essence Liquid Skin, lanterna Ikelite Gamma e toalha Mcnett Micro Fiber
MACRO – Elaine Lee
Prêmio: computador de mergulho Mares Smart Dive, kit de primeiros socorros Sting Kit e lanterna Ikelite Gamma
CULTURA – Pierre Mineau
Prêmio: computador de mergulho Mares Smart Dive, pau de selfie sub para GoPro e lanterna Ikelite Gamma
CENA DE RECIFE – Diana Bullion
Prêmio: Computador de mergulho Mares Smart Dive, lanterna Ikelite Gamma e toalha de microfibras Mcnett
COMPORTAMENTO – Pierre Mineau
Prêmio: computador de mergulho Mares Smart Dive, lanterna Ikelight Gamma e pau de selfie para GoPro
Terceiro Lugar Câmeras Compactas
BIG ANIMALS – Ann Donahue
Prêmio: lanterna Pelican Bring It Light e camiseta Henderson
MACRO – Ann Donahue
Prêmio: camiseta e tira para máscara Ikelight
CULTURA – Diana Bullion
Prêmio: camiseta Ikelite a caixa para cartão de memória Pelican
CENA DE RECIFE – Ann Donahue
Prêmio: camiseta Ikelite e caixa para cartão de memória Pelican
Grandes Prêmios MantaFest
BEST OF SHOW: Judy Bennet – Prêmio: Viagem de uma semana da Dive Damai trip para Raja Ampat.
Fotografado em Vertigo, nosso point especial de “foto sub/aérea de tubarão ao por do sol”.
MELHOR FOTO DSLR: Sheila Ott – Prêmio: uma semana de liveaboard da Odyssey Adventures liveaboard em Truk Lagoon
Fotografada em Yap Caverns, foto inscrita na categoria Comportamento.
MELHOR ENTRE AS CÂMERAS COMPACTAS: Ann Donahue – Prêmio: sete dias de mergulho na Aquanautic Elba
Fotografada em Vertigo; dois tubarões galha-preta-de-recife contra o sol.
MELHOR VÍDEO: Brad Peebles – Prêmio: uma semana no liveaboard Palau Siren.
Ficou de ágia na boca com as imagens e os prêmios? Ano que vem tem mais, não perca a oportunidade de visitar Yap na companhia de alguns dos melhor fotógrafos sub do planeta!
MantaFest 2018: 25 de Agosto a 6 de Setembro
Fique ligado pra saber mais informações e conhecer os patrocinadores e prêmios que serão distribuídos na MantaFest 2018!
www.MantaFest.com