Meeru Dive offers speed boat excursions a couple of times a week to Manta Point near Male' |
Amazing creatures, mantas, Manta birostris |
A manta passes overhead |
There were a total of 9 mantas which stayed with us for an hour |
Manta season runs through the end of November |
The mantas pay little attention to the divers |
In Feb-Mar, the visibility in the Maldives is much better, but then the mantas are gone elsewhere for better feeding |
They reminded me of aircraft in formation |
Lots of mantas orbiting over the "cleaning station" |
A manta passes overhead casting a shadow over me |
Mantas "fly" through the water |
Manta Point, Maldives |
Wingspan over 3m/10ft |
Manta point, Maldives |
Mantas are filter feeders on plankton and are harmless to us |
Manta approaching mouth closed |
I never managed to get all 9 mantas in 1 photo |
Manta approaching |
Open wide! |
Mantas orbiting over the cleaning station |
Normally a star attraction, this sea turtle was mostly ignored |
Sea turtle at Manta Point, Maldives |
There are divers at this place so regularly none of the marine creatures pay any attention to them |
Turtle stretching his neck |
The turtle moves on |
Enough of turtles, back to mantas |
Manta flyby |
Manta heading towards another diver |
Manta point |
Manta point |
Manta point |
Sometimes the mantas will perform loops in divers' bubble columns but not today |
Manta Porn? North Male' Atoll, Maldives |
Manta Point, North Male' Atoll, Maldives |
Manta Point, North Male' Atoll, Maldives |
One of the Swiss diving instructors from Meeru photographing the mantas |
Manta Point, North Male' Atoll, Maldives |
Sometimes, the mantas get VERY close |
Manta Point, North Male' Atoll, Maldives |
Manta low over the cleaning station |
Manta Point, North Male' Atoll, Maldives |
Manta Point, North Male' Atoll, Maldives |
Manta Point, North Male' Atoll, Maldives |
Manta Point, North Male' Atoll, Maldives |
Oh, and they have pretty fish here too! |
Blue-faced Angelfish - Pomacanthus xanthometopon |
Royal Angelfish - Pygoplites diacanthus |
Powder-blue surgeonfish - Acanthuidae leucosternon |
MaldivesNov05_1000.jpg |