Sent out 2015 with a three-tank dive today, with perfect weather conditions.
On our first dive, at Punta Sur, I encountered behaviour by a spotted eagle ray that I have never seen before. We descended and right away saw a couple of sharks and two eagle rays pass by. After waiting a bit to see if anything more came along, we move up the reef.
I saw a single ray coming back to us, straight at me. I pulled up to a stop and waited to see what it would do. It pulled up too...stopped RIGHT beside me and we stayed together, parallel in the water, for several minutes, eyeballing one another. Literally, I could have reached out and touched it. Neither of us moved; we just hung together, stationary in the water at about 75-80 feet. Then it moved on and eventually so did we (the other divers were watching a bit further back behind some coral).
Further up the reef, it then came back AGAIN for another look at me and did exactly the same thing. Finally, another diver tried to approach us to take a photo and it left. But I have never been so close to an eagle ray for so long....twice. Maybe he was looking for a date for New Year's.
On our first dive, at Punta Sur, I encountered behaviour by a spotted eagle ray that I have never seen before. We descended and right away saw a couple of sharks and two eagle rays pass by. After waiting a bit to see if anything more came along, we move up the reef.
I saw a single ray coming back to us, straight at me. I pulled up to a stop and waited to see what it would do. It pulled up too...stopped RIGHT beside me and we stayed together, parallel in the water, for several minutes, eyeballing one another. Literally, I could have reached out and touched it. Neither of us moved; we just hung together, stationary in the water at about 75-80 feet. Then it moved on and eventually so did we (the other divers were watching a bit further back behind some coral).
Further up the reef, it then came back AGAIN for another look at me and did exactly the same thing. Finally, another diver tried to approach us to take a photo and it left. But I have never been so close to an eagle ray for so long....twice. Maybe he was looking for a date for New Year's.
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