My co-worker Melanie and I took four YWAM students out to swim with the manta reys last night. The Sheraton in Keauhou shines bright lights on the ocean which attracts plankton which attracts mantas that eat the plankton. Our group had limited snorkeling experience and high onshore winds all day made the water a bit rough, but we went anyway and everyone had a great time, although one girl got a bit sea sick and had to palu. They also used borrowed, unfamiliar and old, untested gear, including the most ghetto wetsuit you have ever seen, owned by my husband when he lived in Oregon 13 years ago and repaired many times.
Mantas showed up at around 8 p.m. and we sorted our gear, jumped in the water in Keauhou Bay and swam around the point to the hotel. It's pretty dark so it was hard to spot our entry point and the ocean was sloshy so instead of climbing out on wana covered rocks, we swam a bit further and got out of the water by walking up the Keauhou boat ramp. One girl exclaimed, "That was a trip of a lifetime!" That made the effort worthwhile!
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| Our group, before jumping in the ocean. The girl second from the left is wearing our ghetto wetsuit backwards. They photo doesn't reveal just how "prime" that wetsuit is. |
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| One of three mantas feeding in the bay last night. |
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