Manta rays are beautiful and majestic animals that have a life-changing effect on people who meet them. I want to protect them so humans can experience their transformational power for generations to come! My goal is to inspire people so they take action to protect the mantas' ecosystem and oceans all around the world.
The night someone offered to pay us to ignore safety concerns...
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After 25+ years of taking people to swim with manta rays, we've heard some pretty interesting questions. Most of our guests are amazing - they come prepared, respect the ocean, and understand that we're entering the mantas' home as visitors. But sometimes, we get questions that make us stop and wonder if we live in the same reality, so today's email will be a bit punchy... Like the parents who asked to leave their young kids alone on a dark, isolated beach while they joined the snorkeling tour. Or the couple who offered to pay extra to take them out into the ocean, after we cancelled the same night's activity due to dangerous surf conditions. We know these questions usually come from excitement rather than bad intentions. Still, they highlight something important: wild ocean adventures require wild responsibility, and knowing what you're getting into is important. Our swim guides are there to keep you safe (and we do not recommend doing this activity without a guide!), but they're also here to keep an eye on everything else. Our job is multi-tasking at its finest: people, ocean, large animals, waves, winds, darkness, equipment issues, old and young folks excited but intimidated, and more, while simultaneously delivering a joyful once-in-a-lifetime adventure... so no, we can't ignore the group to focus on one person, holding their hand because they can't swim, or escorting them back to the beach because they struggle with their snorkel. There's no room for shortcuts when entering the ocean at night to swim with giant marine animals. The phrase "Don't turn your back on the ocean" is a saying emphasizing the ocean's unpredictable and potentially dangerous nature. In all its might, the sea is indifferent about whether you can swim and use your snorkeling gear, and manta rays don't perform on command. We've compiled some of the most eyebrow-raising questions we've been asked over the years, along with our answers.
We share these stories not to embarrass anyone, but to help future guests realize what it really means to join a nighttime adventure, snorkeling with manta rays. Everyone's safety depends on it.
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Martina Wing
Manta rays are beautiful and majestic animals that have a life-changing effect on people who meet them. I want to protect them so humans can experience their transformational power for generations to come! My goal is to inspire people so they take action to protect the mantas' ecosystem and oceans all around the world.
Aloha Reader, Have you ever had the feeling that everything you thought you knew about the world just went out the window? The first time that happened to manta ray enthusiasts around the world, was around 2009, when scientists confirmed there was not just one, but two species of manta rays. There were enough differences between reef mantas (Mobula alfredi) and pelagic or oceanic manta rays (Mobula birostris) to identify them as two different species. Reef mantas are the ones we see almost...
Aloha Reader, If you've been following me for a while, you know this about me: I'm not afraid to speak my truth. And with recent global and local developments, I've been looking for other avenues to share wonderful and inspiring stories of hope and engagement. One of those "other avenues" is the Ocean Wings podcast, where I invite guests to explore how nature can reconnect us to what really matters in life. The tagline, "From Manta Ray Magic to Meaningful Change," hopefully resonates with...
Aloha Reader, One of the most amazing things about manta rays is their effortless gliding through the water. This goes beyond just swimming: they've developed elaborate techniques to feed (alone or in groups), they've been seen jumping out of the water (called breaching, and it's pretty spectacular!), and they're known to cross vast distances at high speeds. A long time ago, I sold a VHS tape (remember those?) to aerospace engineers, and they bought it for the sole purpose of simulating the...