![]() ![]() It is quite an event to watch from underwater, but the rays are suffering some health problems due to having over 50,000 people a year in the water with them. The manta will do a very-graceful back flip underwater with their mouth open to scoop up millions of tiny shrimp for a meal. The manta rays show up to eat the shrimp, and divers underwater can watch the activity. ![]() ![]() Manta rays tend to feed at night, and on several dive sites on the main island of Hawai‘i boats will shine bright lights onto the sea surface, which attracts schools of shrimp. The manta rays are extremely peaceful and harmless to humans, as they do not have a stinger on their tail like most of their stingray cousins. They filter feed on zooplankton and shrimp, and when feeding they open their flaps to channel food into their mouths. Hahalua has cephalic lobes or flaps that surround its mouth. These rays have one of the largest brains of any fish in the sea, and they are semi-pelagic, which means they travel the open seas in search of food. The manta ray does not have bones, but has a cartilaginous skeleton, and that is why when it dies it is rarely fossilized for future generations to find. A chant was often given to the manta rays, and it goes as “huli i ke au hou,” which means “to begin anew in a new space and time.” The Hawaiians in the past would swim with hahalua when they needed to get back in balance with their lives, family or community. The Hawaiian name for the manta ray is “hahalua,” which means “two breaths,” and this gentle giant of the sea has a long history with the Hawaiian people, many of whom feel the manta ray represents wisdom, grace, strength and flow. It is easy to forget about your worries in life as you connect with nature at its deepest level. When you dive with this giant, 3,000-pound ray that can have a wingspan of 15 feet, you often become very calm and peaceful. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |