![]() ![]() A few other tour companies with lights link to us, and we form a runway. One, two, three, four mantas glide below me, all eager to have their share of the plankton feast. She continues her acrobatic performance and it seems as though more manta rays want to some time in the spotlight, too. The guides who visit the snorkel spot each night know the mantas by name-the graceful creatures are distinguished by their markings, as no two are the same. “She’s one of the biggest manta rays here,” my shaggy haired snorkel guide explains. The manta ray glides onto its back, inches away from me before diving back into the blue, baring her bright white belly freckled with black spots. I’m hanging on tight to a floating spotlight, trying to make myself as flat as possible. ![]() Practical Guide to the Kona Manta Night Snorkelįrom the blue below, a black manta ray soars to the surface with its mouth wide open, scooping up plankton who’ve gathered under the massive light on the ocean’s surface.Tour companies have now made a business of tethering snorkelers to a gigantic light that’s used to attract manta rays. One of the only places to watch this night feeding behavior are around Kona, Island of Hawaii. But because coastal manta rays only travel within a 50 mile radius, the news has yet to catch on to other manta ray populations throughout Hawaii. A few decades later, dozens of mantas have taken on a taste for midnight snacking. The coastal manta ray is one of the most intelligent fish species in the sea, and has the ability to learn from watching other fish. Today, the resort is now the Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa. Soon, the workers noticed an opportunistic manta ray feeding on the dense concentration of plankton. The construction lights triggered plankton to gather, as they are typically activated by sun. In the 1980s, construction workers toiled day and night to complete the 100+ room Sheraton hotel. The manta rays off of Kona, Hawaii are the only known manta rays in the world to feed at night. As an Amazon Associate, The Salt Sirens earns from qualifying purchases.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |