Last night was a "made to order" Manta Experience.

                       Photo by James L. Wing/Rights Reserved

We arrived on-site shortly before sunset.  I set up a flood light on the port side to attract mantas to the boat so as to avoid the need to swim away from the boat and inshore.  After we all watched the sunset, I briefed the snorkelers about the mantas themselves and how we planned to interact with them.  Towards the end of my briefing, a manta ray came to the light and began feeding at the surface right next to the boat.  The guests were thrilled. 

I then went in on SCUBA and placed four lights on the bottom next to the boat in 25 feet of water to illuminate a large column of light to further define the "Manta Theater of Operations" for both the guests and the mantas.  In the meantime, the crew assisted the guests into the water.  While this was going on, I swam inshore and found another manta feeding in the area illuminated by the lights shining down from the resort.  Those on land could see a manta and the guests on the boat were in the water with one.

The manta that came to the boat stayed with us the entire time we were in the water (about 60 minutes).  All of the guests came within inches of the manta ray many times and it was all captured on video. Sea Paradise had two crewmen in the water and two topside to monitor the activity. Safety flotation devices and wetsuits were supplied to all who wanted them. At its conclusion, everyone commented on how incredible the Manta Experience was and how it far exceeded what they imagined it would be.
  
             Photo by James L. Wing/Rights Reserved

The manta that came to the boat was "Koie;" a large female. Her normal behavior is to stay around once she finds a good source of plankton. The fact that we are getting multiple manta sightings is very encouraging.

With Aloha,
James L. Wing
Manta Consultant