Booked this trip for my husband and I. To he honest, I had no intentions in getting into the ocean. I don’t do oceans..... Thanks Jaws! Anyway, they have a price break for an observer so I booked one regular and one observer and off we went. Upon arrival, we were met by Tanner and Shauna, the boat crew. They were polite, welcoming and pretty easy going. The explained the process, got my husband fitted for his wet suit and had us sign the release forms (an unfortunate necessity in this day and age).
Once we and the other passengers were fitted and signed in, we went down onto the dock to meet Captian Bill and get the rundown of the boat. And what a nice boat it is. Big, with plenty of covered seating. Once underway, you had the option to move up to the bow to enjoy the sea wind in your hair, if that’s your thing.
While on the way, Tanner explained the process and told us there was limited mooring in the manta spot so it was best to get there ahead of the other boats and spend a few minutes enjoying the sunset. He was right, not a better view to be had.
Once it was getting dark, everyone put on their wetsuits (except me, of course) and in to the water they went.
As promised, it wasn’t long before the Manta Rays showed up. And, (according to my husband), there were at least four different rays making passes, sometimes in pairs. What an amazing sight to see. These huge creatures coming up from the darkness right towards you and then at the last second, performing a back roll with their huge mouths open! Amazing to see!
As for me, since I was on the boat, looking over the back, I had a pretty good show as well. The Mantas would often come up right under the boat and out the back just inches below the surface of the water.
After about 45 minutes in the water, everyone is called back to the boat where a warm shower awaits.
All in all, while you may find a slightly cheaper price on this excursion, you wont find a better boat or crew. This was one of those rare times when the excursion was worth every penny!!