Before this trip, I had not been on a Liveaboard or, more importantly, seen a Giant Pacific Manta outside of an aquarium. The unbelievable experience at The Boiler was all I needed for this to be an amazing introduction to what is capable on a Liveaboard. In the middle of the Pacific, under the backdrop of a completely uninhabited island, I was able to swim within inches of these magnificent creatures.
After a small amount of time shooting GoPro footage, I decided this was an encounter that could not only be done behind a camera lens. Floating within the water column, waiting for the next pass, and then being graced to be eye to eye and close enough to reach out and touch (do not worry, I did not!) one of these marvels was a life-changing experience.
This dive day at San Benedicto alone made the trip, but there were more sharks and other magnificent creatures to see.
Jared Galvin – US
Eye to Eye with Mantas
