HeadlessHunter
04-25-2010, 12:30 PM
My cousin is on one of those trips everyone talks about doing but never really makes happen. He and his girlfriend bought a Hans Christian sailboat, loaded up supplies including freedive and surfing gear and took off for the South Pacific. Granted it helps he has sailed most of his life and ran a local dive boat for a few years to put comfort to a wild adventure...Anyways, he and his gf have blogged about the trip. Its a cool read for any office jockeys bored at work:
http://loriandchris.travellerspoint.com/archive/042009/
As excerpt:
"Once all the excitement had ceased and we were sure the dolphins were well on their way, we continued out towards where the bay ends and the infinite ocean begins. Upon arriving at the point our picture book adventured continued. Numerous large black dorsal fins and splashing water encircled us. My eyes widened in delight once more as a dozen manta rays gracefully whirled around us. Their round black and white bodies effortlessly glided through the water as they soared like underwater birds with outstretched wings with their mouths wide open, engulfing the plankton floating about them. The leader of the group was much longer and wider then our 10 foot dinghy. We watched as several of the younger ones, measuring 5 or 6 feet long and wide, followed in a line behind their mother like a row of baby ducklings. Chris and I took turns swimming with them in the water while the other manned the dinghy. I stayed fairly close to the boat since the water was deeper than the bottom could be seen, and Chris hugged the shore, diving down deep below them, spotting an array of fish and a large hammerhead shark. We spent about an hour chasing and watching the manta rays, taking turns snorkeling amongst them. Again, I recalled another picture that I had come across as a child, of a man being towed whiled holding on to the back of an enormous black creature beneath the indigo blue water. Curious to know more, I showed the photo to my father and discovered for the first time that this giant and strange animal was called a "manta ray". Captivated by it's grandeur and the idea that such a massive creature would be so gentle and passive as to allow a human to swim with it, while grasping it's fin, I too hoped that maybe someday I would have the chance to swim freely with the manta rays."
http://loriandchris.travellerspoint.com/archive/042009/
As excerpt:
"Once all the excitement had ceased and we were sure the dolphins were well on their way, we continued out towards where the bay ends and the infinite ocean begins. Upon arriving at the point our picture book adventured continued. Numerous large black dorsal fins and splashing water encircled us. My eyes widened in delight once more as a dozen manta rays gracefully whirled around us. Their round black and white bodies effortlessly glided through the water as they soared like underwater birds with outstretched wings with their mouths wide open, engulfing the plankton floating about them. The leader of the group was much longer and wider then our 10 foot dinghy. We watched as several of the younger ones, measuring 5 or 6 feet long and wide, followed in a line behind their mother like a row of baby ducklings. Chris and I took turns swimming with them in the water while the other manned the dinghy. I stayed fairly close to the boat since the water was deeper than the bottom could be seen, and Chris hugged the shore, diving down deep below them, spotting an array of fish and a large hammerhead shark. We spent about an hour chasing and watching the manta rays, taking turns snorkeling amongst them. Again, I recalled another picture that I had come across as a child, of a man being towed whiled holding on to the back of an enormous black creature beneath the indigo blue water. Curious to know more, I showed the photo to my father and discovered for the first time that this giant and strange animal was called a "manta ray". Captivated by it's grandeur and the idea that such a massive creature would be so gentle and passive as to allow a human to swim with it, while grasping it's fin, I too hoped that maybe someday I would have the chance to swim freely with the manta rays."