Manta Ray Night Dive

I did the Manta Ray Night Dive off Kona in October 2009. I did the SCUBA version while my husband Steve and Dean did the snorkel version. It was far and away the most spectacular wildlife viewing dive I've ever done. The dive master sets a large light on the sea floor; the divers sit in a circle around it with flashlights pointing upward, the snorkelers form a circle at the surface with flashlights pointing down. It wasn't long before the Manta Rays were attracted to the light, and it seemed to be their habit to show up for the free salad bar. They were regulars, and the dive master could identify individuals by the spots on their undersides. Eventually more than a dozen of them swooped in, looping upward in the column of light, they are gentle, giant creatures, many of them measuring 12 feet across, with their huge mouths perpetually open as they filter feed. Get eye to eye with a manta ray, the experience will leave a lasting impression!
 
I have now done the snorkel part of the dive twice. The first with Kim was the better of the two with almost 10 mantas enjoying the party. The underwater night time light show, with dozens of divers and snorkelers (all with lights), was a trip in itself.

The second time there were only about three mantas that showed up. They advertise about an 80% success rate. But this time there were many whales and dolphins to see and hear. And the dolphins came up within a couple of feet of me - probably wondering why I was moving so slow. They were jumping all around me. Since I had already seen the mantas, this was the highlight of this trip for me.

Just the boat ride and view would have been fun enough for an late evening and night time adventure.
 
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