‘Out of the Blue’
I held my breath as a large manta ray glided through the water. Alien-like, its mouth was open wide as it headed straight towards me. In one smooth movement, it curved to the right, its fin narrowly missing my head. It then executed two perfect somersaults underwater, before moving to join the rest of the group. I adjusted my mask and took a deep breath through my scuba regulator as I surveyed the scene around me. Dozens of manta rays were performing some kind of an underwater ballet in the sea. Grey on the top and white below, they looked like fighter jets, flying in formation with their long fins like wet wings.
A dim clanging sound made me turn to witness an even more incredible sight. The dive instructor was signaling for us to look around. Out of the blue, a large dark shape floated towards us. A whale shark! It was also feeding, its wide, flat mouth open wide as it slowly swam towards the center of the action. I stared at in disbelief, as I realized it was bigger than our boat! Other divers converged towards it, clicking rapid-fire photos with their underwater cameras.
So where is this place, where you can experience this storm in a fishbowl? This is Hanifaru Bay. Every year between May and October, this amazing phenomenon takes place in the Maldives, in the middle of the Indian Ocean. This shallow atoll turns into a giant aquarium, where you can swim with manta rays and whale sharks. The combination of monsoon high tides and ocean currents bring a lot of plankton into the bay. This all-you-can-eat buffet attracts upto 200 manta rays and 3 or 4 whale sharks at a time.
Groups of mantas swam in a spiral formation, performing a beautifully choreographed dance underwater. I hung weightless in the vast blue waters as the mantas gracefully swooped and twirled around me. Watching these mystical, giant creatures in this ethereal aquatic setting filled me with a sense of calm. For a while, it was like visiting another world, or someone else’s dream.
