{"id":7996,"date":"2015-02-24T07:50:42","date_gmt":"2015-02-24T06:50:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/petitesbullesdailleurs\/?p=7996"},"modified":"2022-02-13T18:13:34","modified_gmt":"2022-02-13T17:13:34","slug":"raies-mantas-raja-ampat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/en\/raies-mantas-raja-ampat-20150224\/","title":{"rendered":"Manta ray festival in Blue Magic"},"content":{"rendered":"

The site is called Blue Magic. This isolated reef in the open sea is frequented by manta rays in season. It is one of my favorite diving spots in Raja Ampat<\/a> (West Papua, Indonesia). <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Mantas!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

January 25, 2015.<\/strong> That day, I am the only diver on the boat. I am with my super papuan guide Otto Awom<\/a>who supervises the dives at Sorido Bay Resort in\u00a0Papua Diving<\/a>. For the underwater photographer that I am, this is the ultimate luxury. Dives a la carte and private guide! I feel super-princess... \ud83e\udd17<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The end of my stay is approaching and I asked to return to Blue Magic. Every dive at this well-named site is a festival - humpback parrotfish, barracudas, schools of jacks - and every dive is different from the last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"Otto<\/a>
Otto Awom, guide at Papua-Diving, is one of the pioneers of diving in Raja Ampat (Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, January 2015)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"School<\/a>
A school of trevallies spinning at the top of the reef of Blue Magic. (Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, January 2015)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When we arrive in the area, Otto scans the water for the top of the reef, which is about 12 meters deep at high tide. \"Mantas!\"<\/em> He launches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I look at the water too. I am hallucinating. We see very clearly the dark diamonds of several large manta rays<\/a>. We are the only boat in the area, the only divers. No other boat could scare away the beautiful giants. So we have good chances to admire the manta rays under water... <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We decided not to do the deep part of the reef (25-30 meters) that we usually explore at the beginning of the dive, to go directly to the top (around 12 meters deep) since the huge manta rays seem to be in the mood to hang out there that morning...<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good shot! We spent more than an hour underwater with manta rays. Here is a small summary in 1 minute 30 of video:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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