Manta Rays of Kona, Hawaii

I have been photographing the Mantas of Kona for over 20 years. The mantas were the first large Pelagic animal I first encountered diving. The Mantas were the reason I took up underwater photography. Mantas are in the shark family and are the biggest of the rays. They have no stinger, are harmless, and are gentle plankton eaters. They scoop in large amounts of water through their gills and strain out the plankton for food. These photos were taken next to the Sheraton of Kona. You can see these magnificent creatures up close from the hotel due to the light they shine into the water attracting the plankton. Taking photos of Mantas, especially at night, is a very difficult proposition. There are a lot of technical and physical difficulties to get a well composed and exposed photograph.