![]() ![]() The Oceanic Manta ( Manta birostris) has been recorded to grow as much as 7 metres across, weighing up to 2 tonnes. Of the two species of manta rays in the world, the Reef Manta ( Manta alfredi) grows to about 3.5 metres from fin tip to tip, weighing up to 1.4 tonnes. A fish so big, it casts a giant shadow as it glides past. Imagine an animal, a fish, which likes to breach the surface of the ocean into our atmospheric world, sometimes tossing and tumbling, before it dives back in. Imagine an animal that must constantly be on the move, for water to flow through its gills, for it to breathe. Most people who have encountered a manta will agree that words do no justice to the feeling of being in its aura. I grapple for adjectives and end up gushing like a starstruck lover, often surrendering to a defeated ‘awesome’!Īdd More Images Manta rays are curious animals and observing one up close is exhilarating and humbling all at once. And yet, each time I struggle to find words to describe the experience of sharing space with this animal. I have seen a manta ray about three or four times since that day, five years ago. Before we knew it, we were swimming with manta rays. Forgetting the cold and fatigue, we quickly jumped back into the water and swam in their direction. Even though I had not seen anything like this before, I knew instantly what we were looking at. Within seconds we all noticed at least three or four pairs of these fins, fairly close to our boat. Just as we climbed into the boat, our captain spotted the slender, black fin of an animal slap the water’s surface. We were shivering, tired and waiting to get out of the water. My dive buddy and I ascended to the surface after two long dives surveying the coral in Allen’s patch. I was out at sea, collecting data for my master’s research project. It was a cold and windy December afternoon in South Andaman. ![]()
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