OMG Manta Rays

Friday, pm, October 23: Friday afternoon, about it was off to Honohau Harbor for a trip aboard Neptune Charley's Manta, and a 30 minute cruise out to a spot in the ocean just offshore from the Kona Airport. It was a night snorkel with the Manta Ray. OMG...there must have been 15 gentle giants swimming up from a depth of 20-30 feet toward us earthlings clinging to a 5' diameter life ring with underwater halogen lights directed toward the bottom. In front of each halogen lantern was a snow storm of plankton to feed the gentle giants. That is all they eat. Manta Rays with 8 to 14 foot wing spans, black on top and white underbellies with individual spots and markings, mouth wide open big enough for your whole body to fit inside....and they were eating plankton only....need about 100 pounds per day per manta. What an underwater ballet by these beautiful creatures, who would swim up to about 12 inches, or less, from you face, and roll gently over on their backs and back down to the bottom, only to repeat these figure "O"s 5, 6, 10 times. And you could have 3 or 4 mantas doing this all at the same time, and never bump into each other, or to you. It was as if they were synchronized swimmers. It was an awesome sight, that can only be experienced in person. What a trip....45 minutes with the Manta Rays. No stingers...Mantas do not sting, bite, bump or do anything harmful.