 |
|
The Manta Ray is still an enigma of the ocean
|
date: 17/4/2009
Author:Nick Brennan
|
Weather: Sunny
Air Temperature: 26.3°C
Wind Speed / Direction: SE 10-15 knots
Water Temperature: 24-5°C
Water Visibility: 20+ m
Sea State: Calm
What a spectacular day! Clear blue sky stretched as far as the eye can see and with the wind negligible and the water visibility exceptional everybody in the resort was frothing to get wet. The glass bottom boat was incredibly fortunate to witness some rare Manta behavior. The Manta Ray is still an enigma of the ocean and what we appeared to observe today was some Manta courting. Guests first spotted two fins screaming past in the water and thought it was a tiger shark! The guide was quick to point out that they were Manta’s and that they were chasing each other. They performed in front of a captive audience mimicking each others every move rolling upside down then twisting and darting across the reef and out into deep water. Although we didn’t fully understand what we were looking at it was an out of this world spectacle that left everyone in awe.
The reef looked beautiful today and guests that were snorkeling couldn’t believe the diversity of fish and their colours. Guests were entertained by the big eyed trevally that were schooling just past second reef, forming a big tornado and allowing guests to be completely surrounded by fish.
The snorkel safari in the afternoon started out at the Shark Pool and came back past the coral gardens. Guests came across a giant Moray Eel that was almost three metres long with a head as wide as a tree trunk. They also found a beautiful green turtle that seemed playful and interacted with our guests for quite a time.
After dinner guests came for an informative lecture on the Dangerous Marine Creatures found at Lady Elliot Island. They were particularly interested in the sharks found here and said that they wanted to see some really big ones! It was great to see some people that had dispelled the common myth that all sharks are dangerous, and that they shared such a great enthusiasm with our guide. I don’t think you can every get sick of listening to stories about sharks and it seemed the perfect end to a great day.
|
|
Manta - Jess Howard
|
click to download flash player