Since there is no natural light, snorkelers and guides often bring a flashlight or lantern with them. The Kona snorkeling spots become even more spectacular once the sunsets. ![]() As long as you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you. The manta rays get remarkably close to their spectators since they’re pretty harmless creatures. The coast of Kona is a popular feeding ground for manta rays, meaning you’ll get to see plenty of them as they gracefully flip and turn through the water. Wherever the light goes, manta rays go as well. ![]() In turn, plankton is attracted to light since that’s their main source of food. Manta rays are attracted to plankton since it’s their primary source of food. Kona is famous for its manta ray dives for one main reason, and that is plankton. There is a still a great deal we don’t know about the manta, making them one of the most fascinating animals to encounter and a mysterious source of research.įor more information about manta rays, check out this video, “ Diving With Manta Rays“.The number one place to see manta rays while snorkeling is off the Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii, especially at night. This giant pelagic has a wingspan of up to 20 feet and the largest brain of any fish. The illumination of the diver’s lights attracts the rich plankton which in turn draws the mantas. Mantas are filter feeders, and appear to be most active at night when there are greater amounts of microscopic plankton to snack on. These captivating creatures frequent the Kona coast year-round and 90% of the time divers are able to experience them. This interaction happened continuously over the next hour and I when I finally surfaced, everyone came up grinning, feeling incredibly humbled by the ocean and thankful to dive so close to such large and majestic animals. I gasped a huge breath of air and was left in pure awe and complete wonder. It comes face-to-face with me and my dive buddy, stares into my eyes inquisitively, and opens its large mouth-it inhales a mouth-full of plankton and at the very last second, soars right over my head missing me by just inches. The gentle giants were acrobats putting on a show for us, and everyone was captivated.Īll of the sudden, a massive manta approaches us. They were elegant swooping, back-flipping, and moving in mesmerizing patterns. ![]() First there were 2, then 6, and before I knew it there were 23 mantas swimming from every direction-we had gotten extremely lucky. The ethereal rays moved through the ocean with such grace, ease, and precision that they almost appeared to be flying through the sea, using their pectoral fins as wings. Everyone squealed in excitement through their regulators. I had entered an underwater dreamland and as if on cue, manta rays began gliding toward us. Strange and beautiful nocturnal creatures emerged minuscule plankton hovered over the beam of my light, bizarre-looking fish surrounded me, and an eel slithered across the ocean floor and eerily disappeared into the light bucket. ![]() The ocean had become a whole different world. We kneeled in a circle and a bright spotlight and bucket of flash lights were placed in the center. I clicked on my dive light and our group descended to the bottom of the seafloor. The PADI crew quickly geared up, assembled the camera equipment, and slipped into darkness. Vibrant hues of orange and red were eventually replaced by a full moon and stars-exhilaration filled the dive boat. We ventured to Garden Eel Cove, nicknamed “Manta Heaven” and watched the sun set on the Pacific. You will definitely want to check this one off the bucket-list! It is one of the most spectacular displays of wildlife that I have ever seen on a dive. Last year, I set out with PADI on a photo expedition to Kona, Hawaii to experience the famous Manta Ray Night Dive, and it was nothing short of magical.
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