Astonishing Manta Rays!

Giant manta rays at point blank range! This is absolutely the most ethereal and awe-inspiring single dive I have ever had, beating cave diving fins down.

This was shot one night in April 2006 in the waters near Kona, off the Big Island of Hawaii. Our scuba dive operator was Kona Honu, which is among the very best I've ever used. Honestly, they're great. We also saw spinner dolphins, sharks, octopus, rare fish, and tons of other stuff - stay tuned for more. (Hint: subscribe!)

There were five mantas on this dive, maybe six. On some nights, there are dozens. You can identify the animals by the patterns of spots on their bellies. A web site keeps a catalog of them. They are 15 feet long, and weigh 1500 pounds.

The lights in the picture come from two kinds of sources. First is a battery of powerful lights in milk crates, pointed straight up. These attract food, which attracts the mantas. Second are the personal lights of about 40 divers in the 40 foot deep water. These serve two purposes. Obviously, they provide light. But also, they protect the divers from being hit by these graceful giants. Apparently, the electromagnetic field the light produces lets the mantas know where you are, so they don't hit you. At least that's what we were told.

Photos copyright 2006 by David Bartell, video copyright 2006 by Don Young.

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