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Wing named official Hula Kai underwater videographer | Hawaii247.org | Hawaii 24/7

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Photo courtesy of James Wing

Wing named official Hula Kai underwater videographer
Posted on January 20, 2010. Tags: big island ocean guides, hula kai, james wing, manta ray

Manta rays are common visitors to Kona’s waters.

MEDIA RELEASE

Big Island Ocean Guides has announced the appointment of James Wing as the official Hula Kai underwater videographer.

Marine photographer Wing, known locally as the “Manta Man,” brings two decades of manta ray and scuba diving experience along the Kona Coast. Wing’s work has been prominently featured in the New York Times, New York Post, San Francisco Chronicle, and the Honolulu Advertiser in addition to numerous dive and travel publications. His marine subjects include manta rays, whales, dolphins, and reef fish.

Manta Rays are a “must do” for anyone who travels to Hawaii and the activity has been touted as “one of the top-10 things to do in your lifetime” by the Travel Channel.

As Hula Kai’s official underwater videographer, Wing records the manta ballet on each excursion and participants can view it on a HD monitor during the short jaunt back to Keauhou.

A fully edited, customized DVD with music is made available for purchase to passengers to preserve and share this once in lifetime experience with friends and family.

Hula Kai’s Evening Manta Night Snorkel & Dive Adventure departs nightly at sunset. Guests are treated to a fun yet safe environment in which to observe up close the gentle and graceful mantas feeding nightly on plankton.

Excursion includes snorkel gear, wetsuit, instruction plus warm beverages, soups and snacks. For information or to make a reservation on a Hula Kai Manta Night Snorkel & Dive go to: www.fair-wind.com

Fair Wind, Big Island Ocean Guides offer exclusive snorkeling and scuba diving tours to exciting locations along the beautiful Kona Coast. Fair Wind’s tradition of excellence and aloha has earned a well- deserved reputation as the first choice among residents and visitors for ocean adventure fun. Fair Wind is ranked the No. 1 activity in Kailua Kona by Trip Advisor.

Photo courtesy of James Wing

via Wing named official Hula Kai underwater videographer | Hawaii247.org | Hawaii 24/7.

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Support Dive The Galapagos — Mantas at Cousins Island

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

Dive The Galapagos seeks your support for membership in two newly formed Facebook groups. Please join these groups so the way we all feel might become one huge voice that will be heard.

Boycott and Blame Shark Killers

The DATA Project: Divers Against Touching Animals

For more details on each group, please read this open plea from our blog.

I am very lucky to dive in the Galapagos each month where we have mantas, mobulas, eagle rays and more. Also many sharks. In November I had an amazing experience snorkeling (not even diving) with 10 giant mantas…9 males chasing a female so close to us that I was clipped by a wing. I have never had such an incredible experience with Mantas even diving the landmark site of Wolf. I think there were more Mantas at Cousins in November than Wolf. Yes, I’m spoiled and lucky: hammerheads, mantas, eagle rays and more are the norm here.

Leslie Thomasson
Dive The Galapagos
WebSite: www.divethegalapagos.com
Blog: www.divingthegalapagos.com
E-Mail leslie@divethegalapagos.com

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Manta Network Supports Shark Rescue Contest

Monday, December 7th, 2009

main-banner1

The End Shark and Manta Fining - Protecting endangered shark species around the world.

Enter now and you might win a 10+ Day Cruise for you and your buddy aboard the S.M.Y. Ondina

Discover the best diving and snorkeling in the world

To enter, simply get our 3-Card Pack.

You might win a trip worth nearly US$5000

The more you get, the better your chances of winning

Makes a great gift Register 3 or more times and get a free T-shirt

This competition is being held to promote Shark Rescue, and is not in itself a fundraising activity. Please contact us us for details.

Hong Kong Trade Promotion Competition License No. 32865

©Sigei Media 2009 | Legal Notice and Terms of Use

via Shark Rescue Contests.

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The Dive Academy Blogspot

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

A Manta in Lanta

We are holidaying in Koh Lanta at the moment and today we went out on our first day of diving on the trip. As we have for the past 5 years we were diving with Blue Planet and were happy when Laurent said we were going to the main dive sites in this area - Hin Muang and Hin Daeng, but weren’t too pleased when he said it was a 6.45am meet - meaning getting up at 5.45 to walk the dogs. Not even they were to happy to be walking at that time - they are on holiday after all as well!!

The boat left at 7am and most people had a sleep on the way. We got to Hin Maung first after the 4 hour boat journey - it’s a long way and not by speedboat!! Viz was only about 7-10 metres, but with lots of fish and the possibility of a Manta that was enough. It was just nice to be diving somewhere different and to see different fish to usual. The first dive was good but pretty uneventful with the rumour of somebody seeing a Manta but nothing confirmed.

Then after a quick hour on the surface we dropped down at Hin Daeng, with a message from another boat saying there were two Mantas around. Again viz was only about 7-10 metres, but again with lots of fish and lots of colour the viz was enough. After swimming around for about 10-15 minutes and frantically looking for the Manta’s, I caught a very quick glimpse of a big dark object swimming away. Knowing there was a Manta around we stayed put for a couple of minutes before seeing a 4 metre Manta swimming quickly below us at about 30 metres. I managed to get a quick shot but not a brilliant one. Knowing the Manta’s were in this area most of the dive groups stayed around, and watching one group start swimming and pointing at the same time I guessed they had seen one. And sure enough there was a big Manta Ray about 6 metres tip to tip, just disappearing over a ridge. We managed to get within a couple of metres of it before it turned and quickly disappeared. Again I managed to get a few photos but none that are likely to win any awards!! But to be honest I’m not too bothered about the photos, seeing Manta Ray’s again made it worth while getting out of bed while it was still dark!!

picture-2

via The Dive Academy Blogspot.

The Dive Academy Blogspot.

Tags: manta rays, thailand
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Bring a Manta Home for the Holidays

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

Uniquely hand painted manta rays on T-shirts by acclaimed artist Lynn Jaye are available for purchase online from the Manta Network store. These individually hand painted manta T-shirts will also be personally signed by the artist. A portion of the proceeds benefits manta research.

EXPANDED ONLINE MANTA SHOPPING FOR THE HOLIDAYS

We have added many new items for this year’s holiday gift giving. Choose from a wide array of embroiled items, manta videos and fine art T-shirts and canvases by aclaimed artist Lynn Jaye.

save-the-manta-painting
Troy Hotard’s fine art manta painting is also available as an original or giclee print.

VISIT THE MANTA STORE

Posted in Manta Network | 1 Comment »

Friday, October 30th, 2009

DEMA Exhibition
Orlando, Florida
Booth #367
Nov. 4-7, 2009
Join the Manta Network in Orlando Florida at the 2009 Diving Equipment & Marketing Association’s annual trade show. Learn about our recent efforts to help protect manta and mobula rays worldwide.

Ocean Presence Technologies will also be presenting its underwater live video cameras. These cameras are being deployed around the world to study marine life and for ocean education. Their new high-definition camera will be announced at the show.

Uniquely hand painted manta rays on T-shirts by acclaimed artist Lynn Jaye are available for purchase in the Manta Network booth. These individually hand painted manta T-shirts will also be personally signed by the artist. A portion of the proceeds benefits manta research.

EXPANDED ONLINE MANTA SHOPPING FOR THE HOLIDAYS

We have added many new items for this year’s holiday gift giving. Choose from a wide array of embroiled items, manta videos and fine art T-shirts and canvases by aclaimed artist Lynn Jaye. Troy Hotard’s fine art manta painting is also available as an original or giclee print.

VISIT THE MANTA STORE

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Tuesday on the Animal Planet

Monday, September 28th, 2009

mating_mantas WATCH: Weird, True and Freaky –Bizarre Births (30 minutes)

Sep 29, 9:30 pm EST (6:30 pm PST) and again at 11:30 pm EST (8:30 pm PST)

Disturbing deliveries, gruesome newborns, and slithering killer infants. Strange babies born to strange moms in the strangest ways. Counting down the animal kingdom’s most bizarre births.

In this new program, the birth of manta rays will be discussed. You may even catch a glimpse of The Manta Network’s Executive Director, Robert Aston.

To help save the manta rays, visit: Save-the-Mantas.org

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Mantas

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

3471049261_a6ae1f1c11 school of mantas

Tags: school of mantas in flight
Posted in Manta Network | 3 Comments »

Mating Manta Rays Caught on Tape | DivingInDepth.com

Monday, July 6th, 2009

Text and photos by Peter Schneider, Rangiroa, French Polynesia
Rangiroa, this is the name of the place I call my home…at least since I moved here five years ago. It is the second biggest atoll in the world and the biggest one in French Polynesia. Its name, “huge sky,” describes accurately the phenomena when on a windless day the smooth surface of the lagoon melts with the sky. But there is more Rangiroa is famous for. It’s the abundance of pelagic fish, especially sharks…great hammerheads, silvertips, and hundreds of grey reef sharks. Filmmakers from all over the world make the long journey to the midst of the Pacific Ocean for them…or better to take good, clear images of them. Howard Hall, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Luc Besson, and Jean-Jacques Mantello just to name a few.

Some of them I met and have had the honor to dive with. Me with my small 3CCD mini DV camcorder parked next to their huge Beta Cams, HDs, and 3D Imax cameras. I watched them, not without jealousy I have to admit. But tight shooting schedules always forced them to leave earlier than they wished. Since I live here, I stayed, diving and diving again, filling tape after tape, first mini DV and now HDV, looking for the beauty in the beast, for a better shot than the last, for the “one,” hoping that my patience would pay off one day.

On August 7, 2006 everything came together. It was the end of an afternoon drift dive through one of the two passes that connect Rangiroa’s lagoon with the ocean. Starting in the blue of the Pacific and ending in the so-called Aquarium, there is a sandy patch in the lagoon, dotted with coral heads and all kinds of tropical fish.

via Mating Manta Rays Caught on Tape | DivingInDepth.com

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Jumping Devil Rays by Don Relyea

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

I was on vacation in Florida and to participate in Alys Beach Digital Graffiti and caught these Devil Rays (related to manta ray but smaller) swimming outside the condo we rented. I started recording them and they jumped and flipped for me. Awesome!

The music is a new song I am still working on.

via Jumping and Flipping Devil Rays on Vimeo.

Tags: devil ray, mobula rays, mobulas
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