Mantas are Back

   The mantas that frequent the Kona coastline have been not so frequent of late. In fact we've been getting skunked way more than normal this past year. So it was very refreshing to have multiple mantas back at the campfire for the famous Kona manta night snorkel last night.

   At one point we had six mantas in our sight. The plankton was pretty dense in the cove and the mantas were definitely enjoying the plethora of food. We watched them glide over the scuba divers at the bottom, before swimming straight up under the snorkelers at the surface. These pictures of of the manta as it barrel rolled inches under our board. Our underwater lights lit up the white underbelly of the 8+ft coastal manta. The black spots and splotches on the belly are how we identify individual mantas. Over a hundred have been identified at this spot alone on the Big Island.

  It is always a good time when you have to remind your snorkelers to lift up their feet so they don't accidentally kick a manta ray. Here is hoping that they are back for good.

   Check out some of my past manta experiences here: Manta Ray Posts

  You can find high resolution manta ray photos in my portfolio here: Manta Ray Photos