Dear Critters,
When you have been told that you have less than a year to live, you do everything you can to cross as much as as possible off your Bucket List. This week, I spent four days on North Stradbroke Island (just off Brisbane in Queensland, Australia) with Spunky Abe in search of the majestic manta rays that inhabit the Bucket List of every scuba diver.
This post is just a small snippet of the extraordinary encounters I was privileged to have during my six dives to the Manta Bommie dive site. Manta rays come to this ‘cleaning station’ to have any parasites removed from their bodies by the smaller fish there to service them. When divers stay still and low and resist the urge to swim alongside these creatures, spooking them to swim away, the curious mantas will come very close indeed, absolutely dwarfing their human admirers.
This beautiful creature had a four to five metre wingspan. Several times during this clip, it chose to glide directly over my head within arm’s reach so that it could feel my bubbles on its tummy. A few times, I needed to move my arms and head out of the way so as not to make contact with the manta’s gently gliding wings or tail. Needless to say, I was in absolute awe during the entire experience.
While I have much footage and lots of photos to edit from my eight dives at ‘Straddie’ – featuring manta rays, grey nurse sharks, leopard sharks, guitarfish, bull rays, turtles, eagle rays and more – I could not resist sharing this short film with you before I leave the island.
When I return home, I will create another film to share and share some amazing stories about my trip to the beautiful North Stradbroke Island. I will also begin to plan my next Bucket List trip which I will take as soon as humanely possible. Will it be cage diving with Great White sharks in South Australia, or a close encounter with Humpback whales, whale sharks or tiger sharks? As soon as I’ve booked it in, I will let you know 🙂 (For the record, I arrived home from Straddie on Monday night and left for my Great White Expedition four days later 😛 )
Love and bubbles,
PT xxx
ps Enormous tanks to my new dive buddy Sean Butler for all of the photos of me with mantas attached to this post – you were brilliant to dive with Sean – I really appreciate it! 🙂
pps Tank you for watching this video of this majestic manta ray encounter! While you are here, please check out some more of my underwater adventures 🙂
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That was amazing and they are amazing, and I am sure there is more amazing footage to come. I truly hope you get to dive all your dreams, because the ocean is full of them, you just need to go in search to find them. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Tank you so much, LP. It was truly beyond amazing, You will have an incredible time with them 🙂 🙂 🙂
Beautiful creatures, so pleased you were able to dive with them.
RW
Tanks so much, RW – so was I! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Gorgeous! So glad you’re manta dream came true so soon 🙂
Ellen
Tanks so much, Ellen 🙂 I was totally thrilled when they appeared as early as the second dive of the trip! I feel so incredibly privileged to have spent some time with these magnificent creatures underwater this week 🙂
WOW we saw it, it was wonderful filming and great footage and perfectly matched music.
You’re an underwater genius and an on top of the water one also!
Glad you are home safe.
Love ya both heaps,
Kirb & Nancy
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Tank you so much for your kind words, Kirby and Nancy – so glad you enjoyed it! Love you both always and forever, Scuba xxx
What an amazing dive. Incredible ! Tanks for sharing! Your photography is always beautiful .
Sent from my iPhone
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Tank you so much for your ever kind and encouraging words, Paula. I only wish I could have shared this underwater adventure with you in person … we are plotting and scheming on our end to make it happen – watch this space, Team Fiji! Love and bubbles, PT xxx
That is amazing, what an adventure 🙂
Tank you so much for your kind words and for sharing the adventure, Alicya! Love and bubbles, PT xxx
Thank you so much PT. Your videos and experiences take me to a world of beauty and wild imagination of what it must be like to see what you see. I feel so many emotions it’s hard to describe so all I can do is Tank you very much xxx
Tank you so much for your response, romanovnafineart. I feel so privileged to be able to share this incredible underwater world and its inhabitants with you. I understand the complexity of emotions that are evoked when experiencing something so profound as the majesty of nature – I feel them too and am deeply humbled by them. Love and bubbles, PT xxx
you could FEEL the bubbles?? how cool!! sounds like such an amazing experience!!
I’m still working on my certification but your blog’s been getting me so amped up 😀
It really was incredible, pdfang! I’m so excited that you are working towards your scuba certification – it’s one of the best things you could ever do for yourself! I look forward to hearing about YOUR underwater adventures! Love and bubbles, PT xxx
Reblogged this on LittleSpinne.
Reblogged this on My Soapbox and commented:
PT’s encounter with the majestic manta ray!
Tank you, PT for sharing this with us! God bless you! Hugs xoxo
Tank you so much for the reblog, Rhonda! Love, bubbles and blessings, PT xxx
PT,
I will eventually reblog all of your beautiful dives. I truly believe that God has you on this Earth to share the beauty of His creation under the water. I have it so in my heart to continue your quest to share His creation You are so in my heart and prayers and I thank God for you. You truly are a blessing and I pray that you will continue to defy Man’s prognosis and live by His prognosis. It will happen when you “give up the Ghost” and thst is between you & God.
Much love, bubbles,and many more dives my friend,
Rhonda Radandt
U.S.A.
P.S I will also be trying to find a way to put them on my ministry site at likepreciousfaith.info where there are people praying for you!