Any chance?
- Thread starter roatanjan
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pilot fish
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I doubt it. You can get lucky and see lots of eagle rays though.
They have been seen here - but it's a VERY RARE occasion so I wouldn't get my hopes up too high for seeing a manta here. I've learned never to say never around here though
However, as Pilotfish said, it is peak Eagle Ray Season, so you're sure to see one or two or three + spotted Eagle Rays.
Best manta ray dives I've had have been off Kona coast of the Big Island. Saw them on a daytime dive and the best was a dusk and then night dive.
You can also see mantas with the whaleshark migration in the summer off of Holbox. Not sure it's the same species of manta that you see in the Pacific.
pilot fish
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They have been seen here - but it's a VERY RARE occasion so I wouldn't get my hopes up too high for seeing a manta here. I've learned never to say never around here though
I remember a few years ago when I spoke to you in Coz on the phone and you told me to keep my eyes open for cool eagle rays. I did and saw the coolest one at Palancar horseshoe. Thanks again for that.
If you REALLY want manta rays you need to go to the Yap in the South Pacific. I saw a dozen or so when I was there. There are some pix I took of the mantas when I was there in my scubaboard photo album, Take a look and tell me what you think. I was so close I could reach out and touch one. cool
sharky60
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eagle rays, lesser electric rays:shocked2:, yellow stingrays; (lots of 'em), southern stingrays all are found on Coz.
If a manta is spotted, (which I remember someone posting about seeing one within the past year or so, so don't think it can't happen), it is just passing through and you should count yourself extreamly blessed if you see one.
I've only had one natural encounter, (the only kind to have), with a manta in almost 30 years of diving.
Study up on Cozumel's resident critters and put them on your list of things to see, the Splendid Bearded Toadfish can only be found in Cozumel waters. I've been going to Coz for over a dozen years and I still see something new on every trip.
While your busy searching for them, maybe the big fish will just happen by...:cool2:
If a manta is spotted, (which I remember someone posting about seeing one within the past year or so, so don't think it can't happen
), it is just passing through and you should count yourself extreamly blessed if you see one.I've only had one natural encounter, (the only kind to have), with a manta in almost 30 years of diving.
Study up on Cozumel's resident critters and put them on your list of things to see, the Splendid Bearded Toadfish can only be found in Cozumel waters. I've been going to Coz for over a dozen years and I still see something new on every trip.
While your busy searching for them, maybe the big fish will just happen by...:cool2:
LadyWithFins
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Just to let you know that I saw a large Manta Ray between Santa Rosa Wall and San Fransisco. I was on a drift dive with a strong current such that our dive took us from SRW over to SF. The Manta was about 50 ft in front of me then took off. I was, of coarse, dissapointed but to my surprise ( and a little fear) it came back around and 'flew' right at me landing about 5ft in front of such that I drifted over it at about 3ft. I was with a DM. When I told other people they didn't believe me, especially because Mantas are rare on Cozumel. However, you can find video of them at Cozumel on YouTube. I also saw a Sting Ray at my safety stop at Colombia. It hung around for 5 mins. Great diving in Cozumel!!!
DjDiverDan
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I have been diving in Cozumel since 1990, several hundred dives, and in all of those hundreds of dives, only once, just one single dive, did I see a pod of wild dolphins come in from the channel to the reefs and swim among our dive group. Never have I seen a Manta Ray in Cozumel, though when I dove Moorea in French Polynesia, we dove with Mantas on at least 3 dives out of every 4. Eagle rays, Sting rays, reef sharks, and nurse sharks, sure. But your odds of seeing a Manta, or a pod of Dolphins, on a dive in Cozumel are pretty slim.
Sue Sue
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My Manta, happenstance encounter BTW, was on Bonaire. My DH and I happened to be going over the top of the Hilma Hooker and the Manta swooped in, went swimming by and then banked off into the blue. It was amazing ! As said, For Cozumel however you have a much better chance of some Beautiful and possibly on the large side of Spotted Eagle Rays. Good Luck !
pword
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The mantas are not as prevalent in Yap as they once were, and they have moved on, some to Palau. We were there last year and husband saw five or six on one dive when DM from Sam's had waited on SI for extra hour or two just for perfect conditions to see them.
He also saw one in St Croix several years ago.
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