Front row seat for the best show on...the bottom of the sea

We had heard the Manta Ray night dive was rated as one of the top scuba dives in the world and it didn't disappoint. Setting the scene: you head out on a reasonable size boat (the one we'd dived from earlier in the day). Half the boat's occupants are going to be snorkelling, the other half
diving. After a short boat journey as the sun is setting (it's the first time Big Island residents have seen a sunset for 4 months due the continuously erupting volcano on the other side of the island and the resultant volcanic cloud cover), we head out to our dive site with numerous other boats to share the experience.

At our dive side we kit up, this time with a 3mm wetsuit; we did two dives earlier in the day as a refresh before out night dives, the balmy water not requiring a wetsuit earlier, just our swimwear. After our dive briefing (and the snorkelers with theirs) we take our leap of faith into the dark water under the moonlight.

Before going too much further into this dive...our third for the day, perhaps we should digress and

mention our first two dives.  Firstly, we can't rate highly enough our dive company, Big Island Divers are professional, experienced, patient and importantly, fun. The

Pilot whale

dad jokes were endless, particular highlights being "Steve Irwin's problem was he didn't put on sunscreen before his fatal dive with rays...sunscreen protect you from harmful rays" (shocker), at the end of the night dive they complimented the boat captain and welcomed us "to Maui" (not our island). The first two dives of the day were "Golden Arches" and "Carousel" also called "Lone Tree", not sure why, there were trees aplenty.  The water was pleasingly warm and the fish were plentiful.  The coral wasn't as colourful but still both were good dives and a helpful refresher after not having dove for a few years. We did see a pod of Pilot Whales between dives and had a dolphins greeting us in and out of the harbour, both of which were magical.

Now back to Manta Rays and our first night dive of the evening (the second being the Pelagic (Blackwater Dive we posted about earlier).  Many instructions were given during the dive briefing. Most amounted to: follow me, you will be found a seat (and a rock, for ballast). Stay there, be amazed, follow me on the way out.

We are all gently sat in a circle at the bottom of the ocean and handed our rock to place on our laps to prevent unintentional floating.  Once seated, the air(?) develops a solemn, anticipatory feel. In the centre of the convocation, there are several vertically-pointed spotlights. Small fish swirl around, chasing plankton that have been lured by the lights. A muted sound of bubbles rising. From the centre of the lights (a box of lights that attract the plankton, that attract the manta rays), gradually rises "Frank" (the eel). As the fish dance through the plankton to gorge themselves, "Frank" extends ever further, like the subject of a snake charmer.

Poised ready, with mouth a fraction the size of the fish, Frank strikes. These are unyielding jaws of grim determination, the vigorous thrashings of the fish call on three or four corresponding twitches of Franks neck(?) before the hunt is over. Even more swiftly than the strike, the prey is drawn down back into Franks lair (the light box)....never to be seen again. Frank was the pre-show entertainment.

Manta dive (not our photo)

Stage left, bring on the manta rays. These majestic creature float in from nowhere with their wing spans of around 10 feet. They swoop between the crowds of seated divers to feed on the plankton that have been attracted by the light box (Frank's residence). Our photos weren't great but we've "borrowed" one to give you an idea of what you see.

Manta dive (also not our photo)

Words can't explain the feeling of sitting at the bottom of the ocean while these large majestic creatures manouvre gracefully above you. Their mouths are more than a metre wide to funnel through the plankton, thankfully their actual throat is only a few inches wide and therefore insufficient for swallowing the odd stray diver.

This was unquestionably the highlight of our diving to-date. Truly amazing, highly recommended: make sure you do this!!!