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One man had a manta come and rub its whole ventral side against him much like a cat

date: 1/3/2009
Author:Nick Brennan

Weather: Sunshine | Air Temp: 28°C | Wind: SE 5/10 knots | Water Temp: 27°C | Water Visibility: ~ 20m | Sea State: Chop

Goodbye to summer and welcome to Autumn! What a great start to the season as well with flawless conditions and pristine water putting everyone in a fantastic mood across Lady Elliot.

On the glass bottom boats the only word that mattered today was “MANTA!” The manta’s were definitely the main attraction and were seen right across the western side of the Island. The current was ripping through second reef like a river and with the beautiful sunshine there was an abundance of plankton in the water making the elements perfect for the gentle giants. Guests used the glass bottom boat as a base to jump out and watch maybe four manta’s at once before coming back for a little rest only to do it again. One man had a manta come and rub its whole ventral side against him much like a cat, giving him the thrill of a lifetime. Apart from the mantas the water was incredibly alive today, with silver drummer on the surface everywhere, the largest most beautiful schools of blue green chromis you have ever seen as well as numerous other plankton fish. It was one of those snorkels where everything just came together and everybody will surely remember it for the rest of their lives.

The divers went out on the eastern side of the island to the blowholes for a change of scenery on such a beautiful day. A group of manta rays came past that contained one very special juvenile that was only 1m across! It was an exact miniature of the adult and guests thought it was just so cute. Later in the dive the group descended to 20m and saw some silvertip sharks. These guys are known to be residents of the area and gave the guests the unique opportunity of getting close to some very big sharks.

In the evening guests came on a night stalk and guests were fortunate to be able to release some turtle hatchlings. It was only a small group so it was an intimate experience with the turtles that capped off a very eventful and exciting day here at Lady Elliot Island.

Manta - Nick Brennan