Hello everyone, this is Totti.
Today I would like to introduce you to various things about manta rays in Miyakojima. First, please take a look at this video of manta rays swimming around the diving point, taken by drone from a nearby cliff.
Manta ray season is in full swing! When can you see them in Miyakojima?
There are limited periods in Miyakojima when you can see manta rays, and they cannot be seen all year round. The manta ray season in Miyakojima is four months, from December to March. And since a "guaranteed spot" has not yet been found, it will be a chance encounter.
There are no cleaning stations like on Ishigaki Island or Kumejima.
I have already seen manta rays many times on the surface this season, but today I finally encountered one underwater for the first time this season!!!
What's more, we made a dramatic safety stop on the third dive! Four remoras slowly passed in front of the guests. Thanks!
Where can you see manta rays in Miyakojima?
They mainly appear anywhere in the waters around Miyakojima. There are plenty of opportunities to dive anywhere, including the main areas of Irabu Island and Shimoji Island, the coral paradise of Yaebiji, and the south and east coasts of Miyakojima!
However, there is no spot on Miyakojima where you can meet manta rays if you dive there. The reason is as follows.
Miyakojima has yet to find a cleaning station where you have a very high chance of encountering manta rays.
I mentioned earlier that "Manta ray cleaning stations have not been found in Miyakojima," but a manta ray cleaning station is a root that is home to many fish called "cleaner wrasses" that eat the garbage and parasites that attach to the manta rays' bodies.
There are wonderful places in Japan on Ishigaki Island and Kume Island where you can leisurely watch manta rays hovering and circling around the roots, relaxing, but they have not yet been found on Miyako Island.
So please note that this is not a "Today we're going to Manta Point!" kind of event.
Encounter a feeding manta ray in Miyakojima
As a situation where you can meet,Most often they feed on plankton near the surface of the water.They are so absorbed in their meal that they don't even look at the divers.The best time to go is on a calm day when plankton can easily accumulate on the water's surface!
Therefore, on days with high waves, they are not visible from the water surface.
Another situation is when manta rays hunt while moving through the water, swimming gracefully and nonstop as they move from feeding ground to feeding ground.
There are quite a few spots underwater where they are more likely to appear, and when they do appear they appear in droves, so I try to dive in those spots as much as possible during manta ray season. Because I want to see manta rays!!
So what are the chances of encountering manta rays during Miyakojima's manta ray season?
To be honest and not exaggerating, the probability is not very high.
Even if you dive at the same spot as usual, you can choose a route that is likely to see manta rays and spend more time there. There are spots with a high chance of encountering manta rays and spots with a low chance of encountering them, so you can focus on diving at the higher spots and increase the number of times and the amount of time you spend looking offshore.
Don't worry. We're seriously aiming for it every day!
Today's manta ray is hunting and circling
Two manta rays were feeding next to the point, and one of them swam towards us. We were able to see it from the boat after exiting, and when we approached it from the boat, it showed no signs of fleeing!
They swim alongside the boat, so let's stick our camera in from the boat and take some photos!
A devil ray over 3m long flapping in the blue water!
The sudden appearance of Miyakojima's manta rays is an incredible shock when you encounter them. It would be great to see them every day, but sometimes, unintentionally or intentionally, you can see them as a surprise, and that's what makes Miyakojima's manta rays so amazing.
Today's manta ray must be a gift from Santa Claus.
Once again, Merry Christmas!
