by Delphine

At the stern of our catamaran, we have these underwater blue lights which we turn on in the evening.  Not only the blue light looks cool, the light makes plankton and other small organism more visible, hence attracting bigger fish to come feed.  Since we have been on the boat, we have seen all sort of small fish and bigger ones like tarpons, sharks, stingrays, eagle rays, etc.  

The other night when Simon went to the stern for a wee, he started shouting ‘MANTA!!!!’ 

We all ran to the stern and there it was - a majestic, beautiful manta ray just gliding gracefully in the water.  We estimated the wingspan to be up to 3m.  We looked at the manta in amazement.  Using its large pectoral fins, the manta propelled itself through the water, performing acrobatic maneuvers like somersaults and barrel rolls. 

After a while, we all decided to put on our masks and snorkels and slipped into the water quietly.  We were afraid that we might scare the manta away.  I was also afraid because of its large size, but Grant assured me that mantas have no sharp teeth or stingers and are harmless to humans. 

The manta seemed to take notice of us, yet wasn't bothered at all by our presence.  It kept swimming down and back up and circling around us.  At times we were within arm's length and the manta would start doing somersaults, exposing its massive mouth wide open and its white smooth shiny underbelly.  The manta was feeding on the plankton in the water.  With its mouth wide open, the water flowed in and its gill rakers would trap and filter the plankton and small fish.  It was truly an impressive and unforgettable sight to behold.  As we swam alongside the manta, we couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the beauty and grace of this magnificent creature.  This was another once in a lifetime experience totally unplanned and unexpected, and we only have Simon to thank for his timely wee.