Big Island Day 3

Its a slow start after the boozy party last night and we check out of our accommodation and into our next airbnb place. We're met by 'Grizzly' the lab cross ridgeback (possibly more chill than any local we've met). He doesnt take orders from anyone and growls at me when i suggest he returns inside.

After lunch its a short drive to Kua Bay for snorkeling. We arrive just in time to see a turtle struggling to navigate the rocks getting thrown around. The beach is packed with families and we suddenly realise that its spring break.

Taking advantage of the '100% Manta Ray guarantee' we rebook our Manta Ray experience and upgrade to the scuba dive (after telling some white lies about our dive experience - and it shows ?)

Tonight we travel to a different spot 'Manta Ray Village' opposite the Sheraton which is where the Rays were first spotted 37 years ago after lights were installed shining into the water to display the shallow reef adjacent to the hotel. This location is now advestised as the main Manta Ray hotspot in the world, voted number 1 night dive across the world and regularly filmed by National Geographic.

Feeling a little apprehensive and watching 2 youtube dive refresher videos - we jump into the water and decend 12m to the ocean floor to sit around the camp fire (vertical dive lights designed to attract plankton). After 35 mins of looking aimlessly at tiny fish gobble up all the plankton we had produced we started to leave. As we head back to the boat we see our first Ray!!! Attracted to the plankton genrated by the snorkelers on the surface - we see a total of 3 rays performing continous barrel rolls and zooming over our heads. In the excitement, Suki takes on a spiky Sea Urchin and lost with multiple barbs embedded in her left hand.

Back on the boat we share our stories, warm up with hot cocoa and sail back to shore. Goodbye Manta Rays - thanks for stopping by.Read more