News
Dancing with Mantas and an unexpected whaleshark
Our final day on this epic trip diving the Archipelago Revillagigedo was to be on the famous San Benedicto dive site called The Boiler. An impressive, three stage pinnacle that peaks just below the surface. Having watched video clips and looked at so many images from this dive site in the past, we knew anything could happen here, given a bit of luck. Our diving day meant that we would fit in 4 dives before we started the long journey back to the mainland.
It was just one of those days. On the first dive, we explored the rock, and then, after about 20mins, a Giant Manta came to see us. Whilst on this trip, the crew have given us a series of talks about these amazing creatures and we have learnt a lot about them. They have huge brains, and whilst it might seem hard to believe, they seem to want to communicate with us. This first encounter of the day certainly made us believe! This gentle, but enormous, fish came up to each diver individually. Caroline decided to try to engage it and stretched her arms and camera out wide. The manta instantly responded by stopping, spreading it wings and hovering vertically in the water right in front of her. Caroline wiggled one arm, and the manta unfurled its cephalic lobe and wiggled it right back. All the while, this beautiful creature intensely kept eye contact. It was an amazing moment. The dive deck was buzzing after this first dive, with all 5 groups getting a close encounter with this and other mantas.
The second dive was even better, if that was possible, because our skipper dropped us right on a whaleshark, literally! It is not the season for whalesharks here, but this juvenile, around 4 meters in length, did a couple of tours of the rock before heading back out into the blue. Nick, descending and whilst still sorting his camera, got bumped by the biggest fish in the sea, and grabbed a shot of its tail as it continued slowly around us. Then 4 or 5 Giant Mantas turned up too and it was hard to know where to look. We hovered at around 15 meters and the mantas circled around us, shivering their wings in our bubbles, pulling flying stunt manoeuvres, and, seemingly enjoying our company.
The day simply could not continue like this could it? Well no…. the current picked up and whilst we did see another manta on our third dive, we simply could not swim against the moving water and ended up out in the blue, drifting quickly. We deployed our SMBs and headed back up to the surface. But the joy of the previous two dives was still very much with us, and so we happily returned to the boat to relax for an hour or so.
Our final dive was upon us. It delivered another incredible manta encounter and another drift out into the blue. We have done 23 dives and one night snorkel with silky sharks during our 6 days of diving on Nautilus Belle Amie. The group has seen an incredible number of sharks: Whitetip, Silvertip, Tiger, Whale, Galapagos, Hammerhead and Silky Sharks. We have seen dolphins, tuna, jacks and Wahoo. And, of course, we have seen the Giant Mantas, in both their Chevron and Black forms. But this final day of diving was truly awesome.
For more from Nick and Caroline, visit www.frogfishphotography.com.
News
Dive Worldwide Announces Bite-Back as its Charity of the Year
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
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