Yap Dive Festivals & Facilities

Dive Festivals in Yap

Yap Manta Fest

This annual Dive Festival is organised by the Manta Ray Bay Resort and is the Pacific's premier dive photography event. Running over two weeks, usually in August and September, this event brings together divers and underwater photography enthusiasts from across the world for an unforgettable celebration and exploration of Yap's underwater treasures.

The event features photography seminars and speciality night dives that offer an exceptional opportunity to explore the exotic and, often, hidden marine life of Yap. Land-based tours and social events, including secluded beach barbecues and traditional dance performances, provide a fascinating introduction to Yapese traditional culture and lifestyle, one of the most well-preserved of all Pacific Island cultures. The Yap Manta Fest also hosts an Underwater Photography Competition offering valuable and prestigious prizes over a variety of various categories. For information of this year's event visit the Manta Fest website.

Yap Blackwater Fest

Immediately following Manta Fest is the Blackwater Fest Photography School event. Each night participants explore the waters of drop-off over the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean, the "Yap Trench", that reaches depths of over 9,000 meters and join the small group of divers to be among the first to dive more than three miles off the coast of Yap.

These walls and waters are home to multitude of exotic marine life rarely seen elsewhere and divers can discover and photograph them in their natural habitat. Blackwater Photo Seminars are held during the day and participants can learn valuable underwater photographic skills from a professional photographer to apply and practice during their evening dives. For more information on this year's event visit the Blackwater Fest website.

Dive Shops & Facilities

Yap's dive operators offer a wide range of dive classes, so you can learn to dive during your vacation or take a course to enhance your skill level. Courses offered include the introductory Discover Scuba class, entry level certifications, Advanced, Rescue, Divemaster, Nitrox, and even a Manta Ray Awareness specialty course. Be sure to ask your dive operator for details.

Yap Divers

Yap Divers was the first and is today's largest dive operation on Yap. It was established in the 1980s and is a part of the Acker family-operated PADI Manta Ray Bay Resort, also offering snorkelling, fishing and kayaking tours.

Located at Manta Ray Bay Resort, Colonia Email: yapdivers@mantaray.com Website: www.mantaray.com Phone: (691) 350 2300

Nature's Way

Nature's Way is based at the ESA Bay View Hotel and is operated by long-term Japanese resident Sue. Nature's Way offers professional scuba dives to all the dive sites, snorkelling and many other boat and land tours.

Located at ESA Bay View Hotel, Colonia Email: info@naturesway.fm Website: www.naturesway.fm Phone: (691)350 3408