Valu Thila

With fins as wide as wings, manta rays soar along ocean currents like birds in flight, making them one of the most elegant animals of the sea. The name ‘manta’ comes from the Spanish word blanket and with a wingspan of up to nine meters, it’s easy to see how they can look like a blanket floating in the sea. Scuba diving with mantas is one of the most amazing experiences any diver can have underwater.

Like manta rays, eagle rays are among the largest rays. The best known and most popular species is the spotted eagle ray, one of the most beautiful rays and among the most desired to be seen by divers. These animals have the unique ability to move both forward and backward using their pectoral fins. You will never forget observing these majestic movements while diving with eagle rays.

The green sea turtle, also known as the green, black, or Pacific green turtle, is one of the largest species of sea turtles and has a wide population distribution throughout the world’s tropical and subtropical seas. There are two distinct populations in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, but they can be found throughout the Indian Ocean as well. They are unique in that they are the only species that are strict herbivores as adults, feeding mostly on algae, seagrass, and seaweed.

Loggerhead sea turtles are easily recognizable by their very large heads, giving them their name. Unlike many of the other species, loggerhead’s shells do not have ridges, giving it a smooth appearance, another distinguishing characteristic of these strong jawed hunters. These large, solid bodied swimmers are primarily carnivorous feeding mostly on shellfish like clams, conchs, crabs, and other invertebrates. They have one of the widest distributions of all the sea turtle species and can be found in both temperate and tropical regions of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. In fact, they have been reported as far north as Alaska and as far south as Chile in the eastern Pacific.

Often times considered the most beautiful of all sea turtle species with it’s mottled, colorful shell, the hawksbill sea turtle is one of the smaller species. These graceful creatures are the most tropical of all the turtles and can be found mainly on coral reefs throughout the warmest areas of the world’s oceans. They use their narrow, pointed beak (hence their name) to eat an omnivorous diet, feeding on sponges, sea anemones, and jellyfish.

An octopus has eight arms with suction cups which it uses as powerful tools for hunting prey, defense against attackers, and locomotion along the seafloor. They are one of the most fascinating marine animals on the planet. Every octopus has a designated “arm“ that it favors and uses most often. Because they have no inner skeleton, they are extremely mobile and can slip through the narrowest gaps and holes. Some species can even survive and move on land for a short time. Scuba diving with an octopus is an amazing and rewarding experience.

Not to be confused with its cousin, the oceanic whitetip shark, the whitetip reef shark prefers to spend most of its time resting in small caves and caverns amongst the reef. Unlike most requiem species, he does not need to swim continuously to breathe. They are similar to the nurse shark in that they can pump water over their gills to keep them freshly oxygenated, allowing whitetips the ability to lie on the ocean’s bottom or stay still, suspended in the water inside a small cave. If you are looking for them while scuba diving your best bet in finding them is to look into all of the caverns and overhangs.

Blacktip reef sharks are one of the most commonly sighted sharks cruising around reefs, as they are extremely abundant in this habitat. They can be found in shallow, inshore waters throughout the tropical regions of the Pacific and Indian Oceans and are easily identified by the dark black tips of their dorsal and caudal fins. Blacktips are not very migratory and prefer a smaller home range where they prey on crustaceans, smaller bony fish, and even sea snakes.