A Wondrous Experience

Posted on: 2023/09/23

We couldn't have asked for a better trip. I especially appreciated the small group size - eight people - which meant that we were able to watch the mantas without getting in each other's way. My sister and I were at the end of the line, opposite each other. This meant that as the manta rays turned over and swam upside down just under the light board - only a few inches away from us - we could look right down their throats. I was amazed at how clean and empty their large mouths were. It was fascinating to see their gills from the inside as well as the outside.

It was wonderful to watch the mantas swim. They move so smoothly they hardly seem to be propelling themselves. The patterns on their backs fluoresce in the light, so they're easy to see.

We watched by lining up on either side of a board, holding on to it and floating stretched out away from it, with flotation devices like pool noodles under our ankles. This keeps our bodies away from the mantas, which is for their protection, not ours. (The mantas are harmless. No teeth, no sting. They eat plankton, not people!)

Two tips:

1. The staff had us put the pool noodles under our ankles, but in that location, it's easy to lose the noodle. Try putting it just below your knees instead. It's much easier to keep in place that way, and if your knees are at the surface, the rest of your legs will be also.

2. If you do lose your noodle, don't panic or kick. Keep your head down, relax, stay as flat as you can, and allow the water to support your body. Staff members will retrieve the noodle and slip it under your legs again. Kicking disturbs the mantas, and the stress is bad for them.