A couple of days ago, my wife and I arrived at our usual snorkeling spot and, when we got out of the car, she spotted fins in the water. Fins generally belong to dolphins, sharks or rays. Each has a different look and these had the look of manta ray wingtips. We could see that there were at least two mantas in the bay. Sometimes, especially with dolphins, the fins will be on the move as the bearers move along the coast. These mantas did not seem in a hurry to go anywhere, but were just puttering around the bay. We hustled down to the water and swam off in the general direction of where we’d seen activity.
We were swimming along when I saw the first manta heading towards me. I stopped and started taking photos. It came fairly close before veering away and heading back the way it came. Then it turned, came back past us and continued on its way.
When it became clear it wasn’t coming back we continued on our way. A little farther along we saw the second manta. It was doing barrel rolls and then came our way. Again, we stopped and watched. This one was more curious, passing by quite close and then looping around several times. Sometimes it went a fair distance away and we’d pop up and follow its progress when it was close to the surface.
Eventually, it seemed to head off in the general direction of the other manta. We lost track of it and popped up in the water to decide what to do next. When I ducked under the water again and turned around I saw the manta again. It made a couple more passes before heading out towards deeper water.
Graham's Island 
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A wonderful experience Graham with so many fabulous photos. The first one is a stunner. I have been enthralled by Manta Rays since a child
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I think the first one will end up on the wall here. We love the manta rays too. They’re weird but wonderful creatures and so great to see in the water. We joke that they’re come to look at us because they can’t figure out how we eat. Where are our mouths?
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That needs to printed and on a wall.
Manta Ray thoughts 😂
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What an amazing and beautiful experience! Fantastic photos!
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Thanks Lisa. It’s especially fun when they’re curious and keep coming back.
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Truly amazing to see these beautiful sea creatures, Graham! Happy Easter from the road in central Utah!
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It’s always a treat to have an encounter like this. Happy Easter to You too Terri. Hope your trip is going well.
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Wow! Approximate dimensions of these manta rays?
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These two were about the same size with wingspans in the 10 to 12 foot range. Not the biggest we’ve seen but not the smallest!
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