![]() Includes wetsuit tops & ankle floats (shorty wetsuits for kids). 2 tour times daily, trip time 1-1/2 hours. HD taken with a Canon 5DmkII 15mm fisheye lens using a Kenko 1.4 teleconverter in a Sea & Sea housing with a dome port. True aloha here with Holly, Iko & the Anelakai ohana (family). Young kids and non-swimmers may stay onboard the canoes and see mantas. This is not a strenuous paddle, no experience required. ![]() A bar on the canoes and ankle floats make manta watching EZ, no need to swim. Lights between canoes attract plankton, mantas, providing time for observation before getting into the water. Catch the sunset on the paddle out during the earliest tour time. 2 canoes, 2 crew per boat, only 6 passengers max. This is how he finally found Eels Garden Cove, a dive site near Kona International Airport, where this video was shot. The 10 minute, guided paddle from shore allows maximum manta snorkel time and quiet, personal communion with the rays. Photos courtesy Jacks Diving ( and Alexinwanderland ( Detail extracted from: a traditional Hawaiian double-hull canoe & snorkel with mantas–a steersman and guide make it a breeze. Read more about this in our “History” section.īlog post provided by John Anderson (5,000+ dives, NAUI Instructor Trainer, Diving since 1984) This is the result of conditioning the Manta Rays in Kona over a period of years to associate light with plankton. ![]() The Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii is one the few places in the world where you can experience the Manta Rays with high probability of sightings. It is a unique environment most people never see. Rated by travel and dive magazines as one of the worlds best night dives, the manta dive is great for divers of all skill levels. The lights, the Manta Rays, the coral reef and various kind of fish make you feel like you are in a different world. The snorkelers from each boat are guided to the illuminated areas as well. The divers position themselves on the bottom in about 25-35 feet (8-12m) and they shine their lights upwards towards the surface. Divemasters bring the scuba divers to where the Manta Rays congregate. At that time, James Wing had the video concession at Kona Coast Divers, so he simply covered the Manta Ray dives as well.Īs soon as it is dark enough for the plankton to form, everyone enters the water. Marine life interaction guidelines were established to ensure that the Manta Rays were not harmed. He also had custom built underwater lights made up to set on the bottom thereby drawing the Manta Rays away from shore into deeper water where it would be easier to position groups of divers. In 1991, Jim Robinson, prior owner of Kona Coast Divers, decided to schedule scuba night dives on Monday nights in front of the resort, because he was aware that Manta Rays were frequenting the area. That makes Hawaii unique in all the world. This is the only place in the world where you can be an arm’s length away from this truly remarkable and beautiful creature. The Manta Rays began to associate light with their natural food source. ![]() This process is called “Classical Conditioning” or “Pavlov Effect”. Over time, the Manta Rays “learned” that this was a favorable feeding area. Unintentionally, this attracted Manta Rays to the area because the lights caused planktonic marine life to concentrate in the water near the shoreline. The resort illuminated the surf zone with bright floodlights, so guests could enjoy the beauty of the wave action at night from the rooms and public viewing decks. “Manta Village” is the original site where everything started back in the early 70’s, when the Kona Surf Hotel opened. The dive site “Manta Village” is located near the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa (formerly Kona Surf Hotel) in Keauhou on the West Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. What could possibly follow Bonaire, Galapagos and the Whales of Tonga? How about a night dive with a proliferation of Mantas? Sounds wild – of course it does, but Kona in Hawaii offers a unique experience to get up close and experience these amazing creatures at night.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |