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| Volume 1, Issue 1 page 3 |
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MANTA RAY ALERT by Louie Barrios |
| It was a bit too early for me... I was informed by Chito that I was to lead a group of divers from the Unilever "Seals" club at 6 AM. This was the second day of an underwater clean-up organized by Scuba World Inc. Grasping a mug of streaming hot coffee to clear my head, our group of six boarded our assigned bangka and motored to our selected site, Bahura Kanto. At first, it was completed unaware of my intrusion into its watery realm. My initial shock at seeing this immense animal was soon replaced by joy.The giant manta (manta birostris) was hovering over the edge of the slope, its wingtips moving only so slightly to allow the manta to maintain a fixed position in the mild current. I spun around, checking the dive group, and animately tried all sorts of strange gyrations to attract their attention without scaring the manta away. The manta then turned towards me, probably aware of my exhaust bubbles at this point. It launched itself off the reef edge, swimming so slowly in front of our group as if knowing that it had nothing to fear from the two-legged terrestrial visitors into its great domain. The 12 foot (4m) wingspan of this magnificent animal propelling it silently towards the blue. |
| Secong stages almost dropped from loose jaws in awe. Dismayed, we watched as the manta become a memory. We kept our eyes fixed on the spot where the manta disappeared, hoping that it would return. I am convinced that our combined power exerted some form of mind control over the animal, as a ghostly shape materialized out of the blue. It was the manta again! This time it had its mouth wide open, feeding on plankton or small fishes which comprise its diet. Curious, it inspected our group, with no fear evident in any of its gentle movements. Anjo, finally coming to his senses, remembered that he had an underwater still camera and was finally using it. With a final wave of its wingtips, the manta turned a slow somersault, presenting us with its white ventral surface, devoid of the usual black spots, before finally gliding into the deep. Enthusiastic shouts of glee and high fives were exchanged underwater, as this was the first manta fior most divers in the group. Yes, this was a dive in Anilao.... Bahura Kanto has a reputation for producing spectacular forms of marine life, but so rarely are mantas seen in Anilao that they are considered practically non-existent. An encounter with such an animal is always an experience. |
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" Anjo, finally coming to his senses, remembered that he had an underwater still camera". |