Sharks and Giant Manta Rays ?

rogerbravo

As the Title says... I plan on taking a scuba holiday sometime next year, and two of things to do on my list are Giant Manta Rays and Shark diving(without cage).
So can anyone here give me a recommendation on what location i can find both Shark's and Giant Manta Rays in the 1 location? I've already seen online some dive centers in Bahama's that offer the Shark diving with the Caribbean Reef Shark, but did not see any Manta Ray dives there. Like wise when searching for The Manta Rays i turned up Kona in Hawaii, but they offer no shark dives.

Anyone have any suggestions on where i'd find both in the same place ?

Thanks.

Fratton Fred

Check out Tobago.

I dived with sublime scuba and saw quite a few nurse sharks. I didn't see any Manta but I believe there is a bay on the north side of the island that gets loads of them at a specific time of the year.

seadeuce

You will never be guaranteed both will show up. However, you can increase your odds of seeing both.

Red Sea - offshore, the Brothers/Daedalus/Elphinstone/St.John's/Fury Shoals

Sudan - Shaab Rumi for the sharks, Masharifa for the Mantas (snorkelling with them)

Pemba Island - Manta Point (says it all), with a good chance of Bull/Zambezi sharks around Fundu

Yap - Guaranteed Mantas, some sharks

Palau - Guaranteed sharks, maybe Mantas

Maldives - Mantas and Whale Sharks


IMO you may be better served by not targetting one/two species. Instead, choose a dive location that is at the centre of different ocean currents and feast your eyes on the variety rather than a repetition.

The thrill of diving any given day knowing that ANYTHING could show up, at the same time being surrounded by vast numbers of shoaling fish, is an absolute delight. Not to mention the "critters" in the muck...

The hoped-for species WILL turn up eventually, usually when not expected. This heightens the excitement.
You must be patient; willing to wait years if necessary. The joy is still as good - if not better - when you encounter the larger pelagics on a one-to-one basis.

Just my take, based on my own experiences. EG it's a lot easier to find a Manta and a shark than it is a Blue Ribbon eel.


Seadeuce

rogerbravo

Thanks for the reply guys.

Definitely food for thought here... Seaduce i love your philosphy and definitely is one to follow, just to relax and enjoy the surroundings. The locations you give are great too. I'm definitely in it for the overall experience of seeing other things, but i guess before i die, i just need to see that Giant Manta and experience the Shark diving... They will be 2 things i can cross off my list of things done.
But as you said above your quiet right, i definately won't be disappointed if i didn't see anything, because just to be in a great dive location will be fantastic.

Fratton Fred

rogerbravo wrote: »

Thanks for the reply guys.

Definitely food for thought here... Seaduce i love your philosphy and definitely is one to follow, just to relax and enjoy the surroundings. The locations you give are great too. I'm definitely in it for the overall experience of seeing other things, but i guess before i die, i just need to see that Giant Manta and experience the Shark diving... They will be 2 things i can cross off my list of things done.
But as you said above your quiet right, i definately won't be disappointed if i didn't see anything, because just to be in a great dive location will be fantastic.

Sharks are something else, but you will get through a lot of air as the adreneline certainly goes up.

For me though, a seahorse is as magical as a sharkm but the creature i would love to see most is one of these, they are just a tad difficult to find.

seadeuce

Fratton Fred wrote: »

For me though, a seahorse is as magical as a shark but the creature i would love to see most is one of these, they are just a tad difficult to find.

Like the Leafy Sea Dragon. Have to go to Oz or Tassie to find these.

Yes, a Seahorse is an amazing find. Have only ever seen one - on a night dive in Aqaba.

But it was just as satisfying as seeing the Tiger Sharks in SA. Small life is just as interesting, and probably a bit more safe.


Seadeuce

PCPhoto

rogerbravo wrote: »

As the Title says... I plan on taking a scuba holiday sometime next year, and two of things to do on my list are Giant Manta Rays and Shark diving(without cage).
So can anyone here give me a recommendation on what location i can find both Shark's and Giant Manta Rays in the 1 location? I've already seen online some dive centers in Bahama's that offer the Shark diving with the Caribbean Reef Shark, but did not see any Manta Ray dives there. Like wise when searching for The Manta Rays i turned up Kona in Hawaii, but they offer no shark dives.

Anyone have any suggestions on where i'd find both in the same place ?

Thanks.

its not the same as in the wild but a tank dive in Maui (aquarium) offer sharks and Spotted Eagle Rays/Stingrays - and a host of other fish.

you can do a cage dive for sharks around Hawaii (not sure which of the islands - but its not difficult to get around) .... so if you found Manta Rays in Kona then you could (in theory) find sharks not too far away.

Hawaii is fairly expensive - was there this year with the girlfriend, its a fantastic place and if you have time you can visit the big island and walk to get within 20feet of flowing lava... definately an experience....even more so whan you realise that theres a glow underneath your feet and you are actually standing on lava.

yannick1

Hey there! yea so i would recommed soth asia. Places such as thailand and malaysia - they have sharks whale sharks and mantas. check out the sipidans islands too. Mantas are rare everywhere tho! However the maldives do tend to have a lot of big fish such as mantas! Asia - cheap . maldives and carribeans - a bit on the expensive side. Your choice!


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Squirm

Indonesia.

You wouldn't see them on the same dive naturally but if it's a diving holiday you're after and you would be happy to do a bit of travel to different areas for different sites, it would pay off big time. Also, it a fantastic country with a huge amount to do and see. We were able to watch a volcano erupting on a nearby island as we boated it home one evening after a day's diving. Diving with manta rays was the greatest dive I have ever done and a personal ambition accomplished. When you say you want to see sharks but without a cage I assume you're looking for the big and "scary" ones then?! The most intimidating I dove with were Bull Sharks in Thailand. The largest were Whale sharks in The Philippines and the most plentiful were various reef sharks, on most every reef dive. Sipidan in Borneo had the best shark life I saw anywhere I have dived.

mac123

Squirm wrote: »

Indonesia.

You wouldn't see them on the same dive naturally but if it's a diving holiday you're after and you would be happy to do a bit of travel to different areas for different sites, it would pay off big time. Also, it a fantastic country with a huge amount to do and see. We were able to watch a volcano erupting on a nearby island as we boated it home one evening after a day's diving. Diving with manta rays was the greatest dive I have ever done and a personal ambition accomplished. When you say you want to see sharks but without a cage I assume you're looking for the big and "scary" ones then?! The most intimidating I dove with were Bull Sharks in Thailand. The largest were Whale sharks in The Philippines and the most plentiful were various reef sharks, on most every reef dive. Sipidan in Borneo had the best shark life I saw anywhere I have dived.

+1 on Indonesia, although I only did a few dives and alot of snorkelling around the Gilis.

Im going back next year...have you got any favourite spots you want to recommend? Im definately going to get out the Komodo and Flores direction and id like to get back to the Gilis too.

Also where in Thailand did you see the bull sharks?

TheBazman

Just back from a liveaboard in the Maldives - saw a whale shark, mantas, grey reef and white tip sharks, and a quick glimpse of a hammerhead.

TheBazman

Squirm wrote: »

Indonesia.

You wouldn't see them on the same dive naturally but if it's a diving holiday you're after and you would be happy to do a bit of travel to different areas for different sites, it would pay off big time. Also, it a fantastic country with a huge amount to do and see. We were able to watch a volcano erupting on a nearby island as we boated it home one evening after a day's diving. Diving with manta rays was the greatest dive I have ever done and a personal ambition accomplished. When you say you want to see sharks but without a cage I assume you're looking for the big and "scary" ones then?! The most intimidating I dove with were Bull Sharks in Thailand. The largest were Whale sharks in The Philippines and the most plentiful were various reef sharks, on most every reef dive. Sipidan in Borneo had the best shark life I saw anywhere I have dived.

Yeah would also recommend Sipadan for shark life

Peace

I'm just back from a week in the Red Sea. Reef sharks were common on the dives. We also had one day on Daedelus reef where a skool of 10 hammerhead sharks come very close to investigate us.

One or two sightings of a manta ray.

denismc

Good to see there are still plenty of sharks to be seen on dive trips, especially when you hear of the large decline in shark numbers worldwide.
They are a beautiful fish for sure, even the little ones.