Giant oceanic manta ray

Magic Mountain in Misool, Dec-Mar. Reported encounter probability around 40%, so treat it as a bonus rather than an itinerary driver. Misool is a long way from the Dampier Strait resorts.

The 'limited' case this field exists for. Nothing closes, but from roughly May to September the southern monsoon brings strong winds, high waves and visibility down to 10-15m, and a substantial share of the liveaboard fleet suspends Raja Ampat itineraries or repositions elsewhere in Indonesia. July and August are the worst of it. Resorts stay open and sheltered sites stay diveable, so you can still go, at lower prices, with fewer options and a real chance of blown-out days.

Resident. Aggregates here in some of the largest numbers known anywhere. Present in every month; you can only reach the islands Nov-May.

RESOLVED BY TIER 1. CONANP, the Mexican protected-areas authority, states the tourist diving season as November to June, 07:00-18:00, with a park fee of $3,760 MXN per person per day. That corrects the commercial sources, which variously gave Nov-May and Nov-Jun/Jul. Encoded Nov-Jun open, Jul-Oct closed. The closure is operational and regulatory, not biological: mantas, silvertips and dolphins are resident through it.