Night Snorkeling with Giant Manta Rays in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii - May 1, 2013

For my 32nd birthday my girlfriend Brianne and I went night snorkeling with giant manta rays off the coast of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (the Big Island) with Big Island Divers. We saw 25 different manta rays that night and it was one of the most amazing and unique experiences of my life. In the video you will see Brianne and I snorkeling and hanging onto a floating lighting rig on the top of the water (look for the blue tube rig around 6:30-9:00 to see us). You will also see other groups snorkeling and scuba divers sink to the bottom to get a different view of the mantas.
The lights trick the plankton into thinking it's daylight so they all come towards the light and this attracts the mantas because they have to eat 30% of their body weight in plankton every day. So you are seeing them feeding and the barrel rolls are to gather the plankton in their giant mouths. Pretty amazing sight. Some of these mantas are 12-16 feet across and they come right up and rub bellies with you.
I highly recommend this to anyone - it will change your life.
We went with Big Island Divers and they were the best. If you go to the Big Island hook up with them. www.bigislanddivers.com/
Video by Martina S. Wing for www.mantarayshawaii.com

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I went but nobody told me 'hold the flashlight up.' So I held it sideways and the mantas swam straight at me and then missed me by inches. That was really awesome staring down their throats.

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I Did That To!

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Video from May 2023?