Giant Manta Ray
Manta birostris
The Hawaiian Islands, especially the Big Island, offer some of the most reliable Manta encounters in the world. These giant rays frequently measure 10-14ft from wingtip to wingtip, though the true giants might have wingspans of 18ft. Like whale sharks, manta rays are filter feeders that eat plankton and small fish. To watch these rays appear from the blue water and visit a cleaning staion on a reef is to observe one of the most graceful creatures in the sea.
Molokini, Maui, Hawai'i