Despite their size, manta rays are usually graceful and tend to be tolerant with divers.

Manta Rays San Benedicto Island, Mexico Yap, Micronesia Trinidad and Tobago  Kona Coast, Hawaii Manta rays were once called devil fish by sailors who saw large "horns" extending forward from their heads. These horns turned out to be ingenuous scoopers which, when unfurled, guide plankton into the manta’s mouth. Manta wingspans can reach up to 20 feet, and they glide though the water like birds. Both gentle and graceful, they have become a favorite attraction for divers. Their range is circumtropical, with sightings in the Atlantic from as far north as New England and south to Brazil. Mantas prefer plankton-rich waters and are regular visitors to a few select locations. In the winter, mantas visit San Benedicto Island, south of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Here, they glide past a pinnacle called The Boiler hoping to take advantage of the resident cleaner fish. Mantas also hang out in Yap, Micronesia at Manta Ridge, another cleaning station. From March through July, mantas visit the island of Tobago, feeding in the rich waters fed by the Orinoco estuary in South America. On Hawaii’s Kona Coast, mantas are drawn each evening to the lights of a large hotel. Night divers watch as the mantas feed on the plankton that is attracted by the lights.

Few underwater sights are as compelling and mysterious as the silent sweep of a squadron of rays surveying their undersea domain. Their large pectoral fins enable them to "fly" through the waters with elegance, and while some rays have sharp tail spines and even poisonous stings, most are harmless.   Amazing - they fly under water!   School of Rays   292k video In the Galapagos, snorkelers most often see the spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari), which feeds on the mollusks of the sea floor as well as small octopuses, prawns, and worms. Eagle rays grow to over 7 feet in wingspan with a long slender tail giving it an almost equal length. Though they frequently are seen alone near the shore, groups of between 30 and 40 have been reported off Santa Fé island.  Another frequently seen ray is the golden or mustard ray (Rhinoptera steindachneri), also known as the cow-nosed ray. The Galápagos species is the smallest in the world, only about two feet across, and most frequently encountered near shore or in lagoons, usually in small groups where they feed on mollusks. They also congregate in great schools of several hundred individuals, traveling with synchronous movements like the flight of birds.  Sting rays (Urotrygon species) bury themselves in the sands of shallow waters, searching for and eating small mollusks and crustaceans. They are found in both Pacific and Atlantic waters on either side of North America. Though they are up to 3 feet in size, their coloration makes them difficult to see -- while their venomous sting makes the unwary wader remember to look twice in the future!

(Shot taken by Jim Robinson with a Nikon RS with 20 to 35 mm lens, using Fuji 200 Provia film and Nikon SB-104 strobe. Camera settings: f8 at 125/TTL)

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Where Mantas Roam

MANTA RAY MADNESS (South of Kailua Pier at 8 miles, 25 minutes)

For many years, there was a very special place, just at the entrance of Keauhou Bay: a very special rock to the Manta Rays, which served as a cleaning station. When the surface water traffic is light, these gentle giants pause over this rock and hang, barely moving. Suddenly, a few small fish rush from the rock and head for the Manta. I watched as these small fish started picking loose skin, algae and parasites off the Manta's body.
Then it happened on late afternoon. One of the Mantas found his way in front of the newly built Kona Surf Hotel on the southern point of Keauhou Bay. As the passed in front of the shadows of the lava cliffs, there was an abrupt enthusiastic glow directly in front of him. He came into contact with millions, tens of millions, of swarming plankton (thumbnail-sized larval fish, octopus, lobsters, and microscopic mysids, shrimp-like animals) in front of him. It was so incredible. All that food in one area. Why? It was not there prior to the last visit to that special rock. This glow, what was it? As he made one of his loops into that shaft of light collecting plankton, he noticed that strange glow was coming from above the surface of his water world. Loop after loop, he gathered his meal of plankton. This was too easy; he was full in about an hour. It would have taken a full day to collect that plankton by swimming the whole Kona Coast. "Got to tell my friends about this," I thought, and that's how the word got out.

I learned that the strange glow was emanating from the new set of flood lights which were constructed above the hotel's new shoreline salt water swimming pool for their guests. It also lit up the shoreline waters around the pool. All of this happened in the early 1970's.
Today, after much watching from the shoreline cliffs of the Kona Surf Hotel and diving with these gentle giants, we at Kona Coast Divers felt that there was a problem diving in the shadows of the cliffs and in shallow waters with depths of 5 to 10 feet. There was not enough room for the divers to observe the Mantas, especially when the surf is up. We were quite concerned for the divers' safety and the well-being of the Manta Rays trying to stay clear of the divers. They often collide with rocks causing injuries to themselves.
We must get the Mantas into deeper water, where there is more room for divers and Mantas. After much thinking, we came up with cordless, highly powered lights with over 500 watts, which were very costly. These light units are placed in a depth of 30-40 feet, which give the Manta Rays lots of room to feed. Our customers gather around the lights in a wide circle, as a swarm of plankton clouds around the lights. Then, out of nowhere, within the outer darkness, the slow-moving Mantas materialize. Your heart almost stops as you see this gentle giant come within inches of you, making endless slow loops in the shaft of light coming from our "Manta catchers" (the name we gave our underwater lights).

When you have had enough of the "Manta Ray Madness" there is a lot more to see, due to the profusion of food that these lights attract. Lots of other species of night feeding fish are found in the area. And if you have a camera with you, lots of great photos can be captured on film.

Since the Manta Ray Dive is rated one of the world's best dives, we would like to point out helpful information to keep this dive one of the world's best:

• Please do not ride the Manta or touch them while they are feeding or at any other time, even if some of the other dive operators tell you that it is okay. By touching the Mantas, it takes off a protective coating around their bodies and leaves them open to a chain reaction infection that could ultimately lead to death. Also it will frighten the Mantas off, taking the enjoyment away from the other divers who came to Hawaii for this special encounter with the gentle giants of the Kona Coast.
• There are some divers and snorkelers who are going offshore (shore diving) to have an encounter with the Mantas. Problems they may encounter: (a) Climbing down lava cliffs can be very hazardous- slippery rocks, surf, undertow, and poor lighting. (b) Swimming from the Kona Surf wedding chapel is a long swim, and especially on a very clear night, lights from the hotel bring out many venomous small animal life to the surface of the water (jelly-fish, fireworms, etc). They are just like the Mantas feeding on plankton. These small creatures can cause injury and a great deal of discomfort. A few divers and snorkelers have been bitten by eels that live at the shoreline, especially when they are trying to hold onto lava rock in the serge while getting into or out of the water. The best and safest encounter with the Mantas is from a boat.
• One last thing before you plan this dive. If you are going to shore dive, check the area out during the daytime and at night from the Kona Surf salt water pool viewing area. If you are going to go with a dive operator, ask the following questions for your own safety and enjoyment:
• What is the size of their boat?
• How long have they been in operation?
• Do they provide hand lights and fix a bottom flood lights to attract plankton?
• Do they have and leave a U.S.C.G. certified/licensed operator on board?
• Do they have any underwater communication system to alert all divers from the boat?
• Do they rent the finest scuba equipment?
• Do they have the most important equipment aboard their dive boat: a cell phone, marine radio (USCG), and a mobile two-way communication system from boat to shop?
Our resident videographer is James L. Wing. His work has been featured on The Discovery Channel and on the television program "Extra." You may also have seen his images on CD ROM. We here at KCD take pride in the fact that we have a nationally known videographer affiliated with our dive operation.
 

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IN SEARCH OF GIANTS BAJA & BEYOND


Although Cabo Pulmo is known to have the only living coral reef on the Pacific coast of North America, it is better defined by its marine life than its coral. Once a remote destination, dive operators in Cabo San Lucas now offer day trips to the reef, including the two-hour taxi ride. Schooling fish, eels, turtles and rays were enough to keep us busy in Cabo Pulmo. On one dive we discovered a virtual field of garden eels. Quickly, I learned the frustration many photographers have experienced when trying to photograph garden eels as the eels disappeared into the sand when I came close, only to pop back up once I swam away.
A little closer to Cabo San Lucas, most dive sites around Bahia San Lucas are only a short boat ride away. Jumping into the water at Land’s End, Alan motioned for me to follow. He had spotted a manta ray. The relatively small, but curious, manta swam over and under us, posing for the flashing cameras. While we off-gassed between dives, it patiently awaited our return to the water. Exhausted after two dives, we headed to Carlos n’ Charlies for margaritas and manta stories.
The following day, rested and ready, we boarded another day boat and took off for Gordo Banks and the best opportunity to see the really BIG stuff. Reserved for advanced divers, Gordo Banks is a deep dive often crowded with large marine animals. Although we weren’t lucky on our dive, whale sharks are reportedly spotted at Gordo Banks during certain times of year. Always on the lookout for giants in Cabo, many divers fail to appreciate the smaller marine life such as the abundance of soft corals, nudibranchs and tropical fish. Big things are not guaranteed, only a lot more likely in the water around Cabo San Lucas.
Taking a day out of the water, I decided to explore the nearby town of Todos Santos. Once a hidden surfers’ getaway, Todos Santos is beginning to suffer from tourism. However, the town’s quaint Mexican charm and lush Pacific coast setting make it a fun side trip. I ate lunch in a garden-style Italian restaurant and shopped the art galleries and boutiques before catching the last bus back to Cabo.

 

 

Beyond Land’s End

After 10 days of driving and diving, we were dusty but happy, especially considering that the best diving was yet to come. On the eleventh day, we boarded the luxurious Solmar V for a week of the Mexican Pacific’s ultimate diving, liveaboard diving at the Revillagigedos Islands some 220 miles south of Cabo San Lucas. Close to sunset, the boat pulled up to the dive site at San Benedicto Island. The crossing had taken almost 24 hours and the divers were restless. Almost immediately, a giant Pacific manta ray splashed out of the water, not 30 feet from the boat. Assuming the manta was beckoning us to get in, we quickly suited up for the first of many manta dives.


As is often the case with unique places, getting to Mexico’s Revillagigedos Islands takes some extra effort. The group of four islands are remote and desolate. Because of the islands’ offshore location and the stormy Pacific waters, they can be visited only from November through May. San Benedicto Island was the first stop on our agenda. Stark and intimidating, the island suffered a volcanic eruption as recently as 1952. The moonscape lends itself to the lonely aura of the island. Underwater, however, is an entirely different story.
San Benedicto is home to the Boiler, an odd-looking underwater pinnacle and one of the few places in the world where giant Pacific manta rays choose to congregate. We spotted as many as five or six at a time. Not skittish of divers, there, the mantas were easily approached. With wingspans of up to 20 feet, they intimidated us with their size and impressed us by their gracefulness. Although the crew did not approve, few divers could resist a quick ride, especially when the mantas positioned themselves as if to invite us on board. They danced for us, their watery weightlessness belying their enormous size. The mantas moved as elegantly through the water as an eagle moves through the air. While they stalled above, our bubbles caressed their undersides. Their muscles quivered at our touch, like a cat’s purr. A small flip of one enormous wing could move them quickly in any direction. My fins, attached to a mostly land-dwelling body, were no match for the mantas’ movements. They didn’t seem to mind my awkwardness, though, and stayed with us from mid-morning through the afternoon. Was this a spiritual encounter with wild marine animals? Probably not so dramatic. The common consensus is that this particular spot near San Benedicto Island is a cleaning station. We were, in the mantas’ eyes, nothing more than kooky-looking cleaner fish. When low air forced us to shallower depths, the mantas followed, not understanding why our time was so short.

 
After the manta encounters, we traveled south to Socorro Island. The largest of the group, Socorro is the home to a small Mexican navy base. Compared to San Benedicto, Socorro Island looked green and lush. Although not as dramatic (we were quite spoiled after the mantas), the diving was still impressive —Galapagos sharks, blacktip sharks, hammerheads, and lobsters the size of my thigh. Swimming back to the boat after one dive, I spotted a tiger shark, blissfully unaware of my presence. I set off, camera in tow. Suddenly I was paralyzed by something I had recently read: “Tigers are considered truly dangerous . . . will eat almost anything . . .” I returned to the boat. By dinner, the tiger had grown to 20 feet of gnashing teeth.
Visions of sharks dancing in my head, we returned to San Benedicto for another day with the mantas before the return ride home. Good food and comfortable accommodations aboard the Solmar V made me feel as if I was on a cruise. However, trips to these islands are not for the timid - strong currents, rough water and encounters with intimidating animals make the diving thrilling and sometimes challenging. During the long ride home, we spotted huge schools of dolphins, jumping tuna, and whales — a magical end to a truly magical adventure. That is, if you don’t count the 1000-mile ride back home.

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Betsy “Decaf” Archer is a STM marketing representative and former manager of Beach Cities Scuba in Dana Point, California.

MARCH/APRIL 1996

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Info collected by Marat Ryndin