by sseale: Snorkeling with the Giant Manta Rays in Kona, Hawaii

One of the most unique, in fact almost mystical ocean encounters one can have is night-diving or snorkeling with the giant manta rays of Hawaii. They are gentle and non-territorial, with no barbs or teeth. I slid silently into the water, other-worldly in the darkness as if I was entering another realm altogether. Immediately I was enveloped by the giant fish with wingspans up to twelve feet, which slowly flapped up and down as if flying through the water. The phosphorescence of the plankton gave an eerie glow to the rays, and suddenly one swam directly toward me, its mouth of whale-like baleen wide open. Instinctively I pulled back, and the ray circled up toward me and then away, graceful and unperturbed by my presence. It was mere inches away, and I could have reached out and touched it. For an hour I floated in the water along with a dozen of these magnificent creatures, as they circled and dived and glided in our midst.