After missing the Manta Rays at Mantaray Island, we decided to make Barefoot Manta Island (or more traditionally know as Drawaqa Island) our final stop. This resort is on a neighbouring island and offers the same experience of sighting the rays. Again, we boarded the Flyer and headed south before jumping on our Water Taxi out to the island. As we were taking part in a group check in, we couldn’t believe it, the drum started beating, a ray had been spotted. We made an abrupt end to the check in process, left our bags where they were and charged for the boat. Before we knew it, we were swimming with a 4/5m wide, unworldly creature in a channel just off the island.
The channel is ideal for rays as it is narrow and has a strong flow of water passing through it. Effortlessly, the rays glide along in the water drifting with the currents before turning on a wide bearing and gradually working back up against the current. The ray looked elegant and calm at all times, yet for us humans it was a slightly different scenario… When our group attempted to swim against the current we realised why there was safety talks. Fighting the current on the surface took a lot of effort. We were battling against the tide, yet not realising how much as we were fixed on the ray.
[photograph by Jarkko Lainee]
44 Degrees South 