Book 'em Danno: Klepto Manta Mugs Cameraman

What began as another exhilarating manta ray night dive off Kailua-Kona, Hawaii on an August evening in 2010, quickly turned into the theft of the century. Cameraman Travis Matteson was capturing footage for the scuba diving travel television show "Into the Drink" aboard the Kona Aggressor II. Suddenly, one of the manta's giant wings hooked his light system, and darted off with the nearly $10,000 worth of photo gear. Underwater videographer Johnny Reidt caught the entire theft on camera, and the manta, carrying the stolen photo rig, captured some amazing footage of the nighttime reef. Remarkably, the camera rig was found completely intact after an eight-minute run by the manta, just yards from the dive boat. Case closed.

Into the Drink: http://www.intothedrink.tv

• Category

  Pets & Animals

[Prence]

The Manta said "No Paparazzi!".

[DefenderOfEnglish]

Isn't it amazing. You post something on YouTube, and only about half the comments, like this one, say "Wow, that's really neat."

The other half either say how what's being done is wrong or how it's animal abuse. Yes, it's so sad that this horrible cameraman was there, disrupting the natural processes of an animal most of us wouldn't even know existed if not for cameramen showing us. We get that you people love nature and all, but try taking the pine cone out of your ass.

[Jacques Star]

WOW

[eaglescout20012000]

Never did trust the manta rays those shifty beady eyes.

[asoberprep]

hell ya hear that!@MiHiVidz

[asoberprep]

wrong animal thats a stinray these are harmless@Psychkemia

[asoberprep]

On nat geo they said these were only 10 feet. They get to over 20 feet. This and the whale sharks are so amazing.@thequirkytraveller

[fyconsulting1]

Wow!!!Thanks, Good Job!!!

[Paul Michael]

This is like a message from nature for humans: FUCK OFF , and you know what? the nature's right , and I'm no greenpeace freak but common give them some slack.

[Емануил Георгиев]

Guess the mantas like their privacy :)