It was a weekend that will surely be remembered for a long time. Needless to say, I am referring to last weekend’s dive. Like all dive weekends, I always look forward to the adventure. There is always something new to see, experience and enjoy. And as it turned out, there was really something new for all of us.
It all started being planned online… a sort of get-together for us friends using Facebook. As the weekend approached, plans were ironed out… schedules adjusted, car pools organized. There was a snag though… one of the friends couldn’t make it. There was a last minute family obligation that had to be addressed. Bummer…
Although an ongoing typhoon in Taiwan was intensifying the southwest monsoon and causing rough seas, this never deterred us… a simple adjustment just had to be made – as always. Simply put, we couldn’t board and disembark our outrigger from the resort. We had to travel an extra 10 minutes by land to Mainit where seas are much calmer during this season.
This also limited our dive site selection since we couldn’t cross the channel nor travel up and down the coast. No worries… there was always Mainit… one of the high-voltage dive sites around the Anilao area… and that was available!
Right off the bat, there was a discussion as to which dive site to tackle first… the top two choices would be Mainit Point or Secret Bay. Since we had “other” divers with us, we chose Mainit. And since those “other” divers were kids, we obviously wouldn’t tackle the “wilder” side of Mainit.
Off we went… a two-minute outrigger ride and we arrive at our destination. Everybody suits up and back-rolls… we assemble at the bottom of the boat… got the kids organized… then proceeded.
Within the first 15 minutes of the dive… Paz signals something that takes everyone by surprise… she signals that there’s a manta out there… we scurry to take a closer look!!! By the time I got to the area, I couldn’t believe my eyes!!! There was not one but two of them!!!
Manta Ray’s are one of the most graceful creatures you can ever watch… the don’t swim through the water… they FLY! They look like modern bombers when gliding – I have read that current bombers have been designed after them…
I have seen Manta’s before… but don’t forget… this IS Anilao. There have been a few reports before of sightings… the last one with video to boot… but this is no longer a story… this is first hand!!! After the Manta’s left, we proceeded with the dive… lo and behold… minutes later… I was shaken by a friend only to be directed to see another sighting… this time there were three of them… WHAT’S HAPPENING?!?!?!
After the dive, we were obviously excited. We wanted to do Mainit again and search for them… and check if this was a fluke. And as luck would have it… we saw them again… and again. This group was different… they were bigger… about 5-6 ft in diameter vs the 3-4 footers we saw on the first dive.
The next day… we did Mainit twice again… and they were still there… at different depths… seemingly all over the place…
Dave and Paz who stayed until Monday reported that when they dove Mainit in the morning, the Manta’s were still there. So, since Saturday, apparently guaranteed sightings of Manta’s at Mainit – this is no small claim.
This is definitely good news to all divers of Anilao… first there were Whale Sharks… now Manta’s… now if only they don’t get harassed by other divers… or fished by the locals… Anilao will definitely get a big boost.
Manta Fly-By @ Mainit
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