Flight of the Mantas

Today was all underwater. Sho's first ever dive in the morning and then snorkelling at a Manta Ray cleaning station in the afternoon.

As usual Sho was 'I won't like it' before she got in the water and all smiles at the end of the dive, but it was the afternoon that was the high point of the day (and perhaps the holiday).

The dive boat pulled up at Manta Point, under the massive cliffs of Nusa Penida. Things didn't look good as no mantas were visible, looking from the surface. Then one was spotted and there was a rush to get kit on. As we were the only ones snorkelling we were first in, just in time to see a huge black shape gliding away into the deep. Another advantage of the easybreath masks - you can swear out loud in amazement...

It looked like that might be it, as we hung around the dome of rock that mark the cleaning station all was quiet. Then Sho started pointing madly to the right. Three humungous (9-12ft wintip to wingtip) mantas swept in over the sand in a line and started to circle the dome, occasionally stopping to let the little fish swarm over them removing parasites. 

They came and went over and over again, sometime gliding close to us for a look and then disappearing for a few minutes. It was mesmerising and being called back to the boat when the diver's were finished was almost a disappointment.