Manta bodyslams my hubby!!!

[Chocoholic]

If his lights were bothering the eyesight of the manta...that could explain a "retaliatory" strike....I have shined powerful canister lights at good sized sharks on night dives before, and caused them to charge at me for my uncouthness ;-). ...The proper etiquette is not to blind them

You know that could be it. He didn't have a light as he was holding on to the surf board thingy with both hands but the DM was waving his light around to direct the mantas nearer to my hubby.

 

[Doubler]

I have video of two Mantas hitting the rib boat tied behind the KA. The KA's lights had attracted a lot of plankton at the surface and the mantas were in an excited feeding state. They were swimming on top the ropes and almost landed in the boat. Also have video of wife doing a 180 backward lay down to keep Big Bertha from plowing over her. They are wild animals and we are blessed to be in their element, stuff happens. Now your husband has a great " war story" with bumps to prove it. Hope he heals fast.

 

[acooper]

I got tagged by a manta last month. We were diving Garden Eel Cove, the Kona manta dive site, during the day. We had mantas all over the place, a great dive. I was filming a manta make a pass just below me on the reef slope when she turned and came right at me, clipping me and the camera. No damage, just surprise.

I have the incident on video and ID'd the particular manta on the manta foundation website. She is a manta dive regular, has been for many years, with a 12' wingspan!

Mark made a great film of our dive that day, it does not include the bump, but shows how nice the mantas can be during the day...

[video]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=34q3f1IksqE&[/video]