5.8.2021 Manta Ray Night Dive
On Saturday May 8 2021 Ryan and I went on a dive boat to be one of the many to get to experience the world famous Manta Ray night dive off of the calm blue waters of the Kona coast. We started the evening on the farm in Captain Cook. It had been raining heavily on the farm almost every afternoon and Saturday was no exception. Dressed ready to dive in shorts and tank tops we ran down the hill to the car to avoid getting soaked. The drive on an average day from Captain Cook to Kona takes about 30 minutes, with Saturday being no exception. Upon arrival we joined the group all in masks to check in with the boat crew, and were greeted by two very sarcastic dive masters. Taking every chance they could to crack a joke for the guests. There were about a dozen snorkelers and nine divers on board. Once all of the formalities were out of the way and the boat departed from the dock everyone but one foreign fellow immediately took off their masks in order to fully enjoy the experience. The 30 min boat ride to the Old Kona airport where the dive site was located was picturesque. The setting sun was backdropped against a few wispy clouds, and the ocean was calm making for a pleasant ride to the dive site where about twenty other boats were already moored. One of the dive masters went around checking dive certs; disbelieving me when I pulled out my app with all my dive information digitized. Still doubtful of me he proceeded to ask questions about my certification Where we were given information on the Manta Rays and the procedure of what to do once the dive commenced. The manta rays that frequent the bays around Kona are a long lived species Manta Alfredis staying within the islands around the world. The spots on their white bellies all being unique identifiers of the 325 individuals that are known to live off of the big island. They live around 70-80 years old and only give birth to one pup every three years, with gestation lasting 18 months. They are entirely cartilaginous and have no teeth making them completely safe to dive with. More focused on the zooplankton than the divers.
Once the sun had gone down we were ready to dive. We all followed the divemaster to the dive location. It was my first night dive and swimming in the dark was a surreal experience. Besides our little flashlights there was no light and anything not illuminated by the light was pitch black darkness. There are few things in the world that make you feel as vulnerable as a night dive. Anything could come out of the darkness at any time and can move faster than any human could hope too when underwater. We were not in the dark for long as we quickly ascended the dive site where an amphitheater of light was waiting with dozens of snorkelers above on illuminated surf boards, and about 200 hundred other divers sitting around in a “campfire” circle waiting for the stars of the night to arrive. With all the light came massive schools of silvery and yellow fish hoping to feast on the zooplankton flooding in, attracted by the lights. One lonely moray eel danced up and down in the center, hoping an unlucky fish would become his dinner. Before seeing any mantas, an ethereal sound, very low pitched and almost like a whales song; that I could feel in my bones reverberated across the campfire ring. One of three mantas whom decided to feed in the area appeared out of the dark swooping in and through the lights feeding on the zooplankton. One of the mantas was a well known female Big Bertha whom was at least 15 feet long and made for the most awe inspiring moment. She would dive in and out of the light, twice coming at my head with her mouth wide open, looking like she was going to swallow my head, only to gracefully turn gliding her entire body inches above me and the divers around me to continue feeding. This viewing went on for about 40 minutes until we were tapped on the shoulder and followed the dive master back to the boat. We were left with one last spectacle as one of the mantas followed us in the dark swimming behind us in the search for food. Once back on the boat the energy was alive with excitement as the close encounter with these gentle giants was fresh in our minds. Once the crew had secured all the gear we turned back to the harbor
, during the ride Ryan and I went to the bow taking in the beautiful view of the ocean, sky, and the stunning Kona coastline, getting lucky to enjoy the warm air and views from the bow all to ourselves. The dive was a beautiful experience and one that will never be forgotten.
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