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.
