Swimming with Mantas in Raja Ampat: Underwater Photo Gallery

Diving in Raja Ampat usually means exploring the unbelieveable biodiversity of the coral reefs. And while I love shooting photos of the colorful tropical fish and corals, I'm always keeping an eye out in the blue water for a glimpse of larger species.

Mantas are one of the most incredible animals I've ever encountered underwater. Gliding on their graceful wings, they literally look like they're flying.

Raja Ampat has healthy populations of mantas, and on a couple dives we were even lucky enough to encounter the rare mobula manta - a group of them hunting at the edge of a massive school of sardines.

We also found mantas at deepwater cleaning stations, feeding in the powerful currents at the surface, sailing past in the open blue water. Every time we encountered one of these incredible marine animals was pure magic, and the manta photos are among my favorites from the entire twelve day voyage on the Seven Seas in Raja Ampat.

Check out the gallery below to see the photo highlights, or see the all the photo galleries from our Raja Ampat liveaboard dive trip - from scuba diving, to aerial photos, to freediving, to the incredible wildlife and local people living in this amazing place. You can also see galleries from other Seven Seas liveaboard dive trips - my absolute favorite way to explore the awesome natural beauty and unique cultures of Indonesia.


Read this next

Travel

Thirty -five days at sea - definitely one of the most EPIC trips of my life so far.Starting out in Komodo National Park, I joined the Seven Seas for more than 3,000 kilometers of adventures across some of the most beautiful parts of the Indonesian archipelago. After leaving Flores, we ...READ MORE

Tommy Schultz

Photographer, Writer, & Film Maker

Hi, my name is Tommy - thanks for visiting my site today. I've spent the past ten years capturing stories from around the world with my camera. I'm inspired by the ocean, working with creative people, and sharing what I've learned along the way. If you enjoyed this article and love travel / photography you should sign up for my free newsletter. If you need creative for your upcoming project, click here to learn how I can help you. If you want to learn how to share your own story in pictures / video, you can join my online photography course. If you'd like to connect with me, please say hi on Google+, Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube. If you're curious how / why I made the switch to being a full-time photographer, just click here.