BLOG

Swooping and swirling through the water, 12 incredible Manta Rays put on an unforgettable show yesterday for one of our full day snorkel boats.

Our snorkel team on Kuredu run two full day trips a week to the south of the Lhaviyani Atoll.  The full day trips not only let us visit snorkel sites that are out of reach of the regular half day excursions, but also offer the opportunity for guests to snorkel and get up close with the world’s biggest ray – the majestic Manta Ray.

Most of our guests are curious and intrigued by the beauty of the Manta Ray.  With a wingspan reaching up to 4 meters, the mantas glide effortlessly just under the surface of the ocean as they feed on microscopic animals, barely visible to the eye, called plankton.

Our Manta Specialty Course participants this week were awestruck as they jumped in the water and for the next half an hour, enjoyed the feeding frenzy taking place in front of their eyes by the 12 manta rays that had gathered on the reef.

The feeding was in full swing as the snorkelers entered the water and they were greeted with the Mantas chain feeding and barrel – rolling in front of them.  Both chain feeding and barrel-rolling are techniques used by Manta Rays to ensure that they funnel the most amount of plankton into their gills, which they then filter feed to get the goodness and nutrients out of the plankton.

At the end of the show, it was only the snorkelers that were left hungry for more…