Manta Rays

[mems]

http://i.imgur.com/v2Qrico.jpg (http://imgur.com/v2Qrico)
Aloha, got to hang out with my sister and our family in Puako for a couple of days. We went snorkeling with the Manta Rays at Mauna Kea beach hotel last night. Lots of papio trevally around.
http://i.imgur.com/OuaKKHk.jpg (http://imgur.com/OuaKKHk)
I will have to go back at night and catch some of these. We fished the morning and got some papio and goat fish. Saw a big bone, but no love. I did get smoked by an ulua on a spin rod with a dead oama. Great run, but cut me off in the coral heads.
http://i.imgur.com/RkysCKW.jpg (http://imgur.com/RkysCKW)
It was fun hanging out with the family and seeing some good sunsets.
http://i.imgur.com/h7RKs6c.jpg (http://imgur.com/h7RKs6c)
This is where you snorkel out to at Mauna Kea beach.
http://i.imgur.com/gceofMg.jpg (http://imgur.com/gceofMg)
http://i.imgur.com/QFFkvcK.jpg (http://imgur.com/QFFkvcK)
If you ever get to the Big Island , check out the manta's at night, it is a great experience. Mems

[Darian]

WOW!!! Snorkeling with those guys (Mantas) looks amazing!! Great scenery and sunsets. Thanks for sharing.... :cool:

[mems]

Hey Darian, it is a great experience. We are all certified divers and we have scuba with them before, but the snorkeling here is in shallow water, 20-30 feet and the mantas are very docile and majestic. Plus it is free. I am going to try and go back and catch a bunch of yellow spot papio and jump in for another snorkel. Don.

[DLJeff]

We used to do that when we were sent to the Big Island for maneuvers up at PTA. Stay over a couple days at the old Kona Surf Hotel. Out on the rocky point where the pool was they had a big overhead light. The mantas would come in there nearly every night to siphon plankton that gathered because of the light. Hardly anyone swam with them back then. We often got comments like "Are you guys crazy?"