Kailey

Our last big surf of the season has come and gone (hopefully) and we now have consistent calm sea conditions all along the Kona Coast. When the sea gets flat like this I like to get away from Honaunau and check out some of the bays and beaches that are usually more exposed to the surf.

Photo Copyright 2013 by Barry Fackler

On Memorial Day, I ventured down to Keauhou Bay to see if I could find some mantas to swim with me. I was lucky and found two!  By far the more social of the pair was Kailey, the one pictured here. She remained very calm and collected as I settled into her orbit of the cleaning stations on the south side of the bay.

Photo Copyright 2013 by Barry Fackler

Kailey was named by the diver who first reported her existence to the Manta Pacific Research Foundation (MPRF). The great folks at MPRF identified her for me when I e-mailed them a photo. They do a wonderful job of monitoring the manta ray dive operations along the Kona Coast and have established guidelines for dive operators who offer Manta Night Dives. MPRF has also been instrumental in getting legislation passed to protect the resident manta rays of Hawai'i from fishing and capture for public aquaria.

Photo Copyright 2013 by Barry Fackler

Unfortunately, the ocean is an untamed environment and no organization can protect every manta from the countless hazards out there. Kailey is missing her entire left cephalic lobe. This is the fin-like extension that forms one of the manta's "horns". When unfurled, these lobes funnel plankton into the mouth during feeding. Fortunately, Kailey's injury is well-healed and she appears well nourished as well. Hopefully, she'll be around to delight divers and snorkelers for a long time to come.

Trina the Manta Ray

These are a couple of very old (June 2004) photos of a daylight manta ray sighting in Honaunau Bay. Honaunau is not a real hotspot for manta rays so it was kind of a special occasion. I had a good 10 to 15 minute encounter and used up all the film in my clunky old camera. Afterwards, I submitted the photos to the Manta Pacific Research Foundation which catalogs members of the local manta ray population. They can identify individual rays by the black spots and blotches on their underbellies.

It turned out this ray was new to their database and we were given the opportunity to name her. Betty and I decided to name her after our daughter, Trina, whose love of manta rays first brought us to the Big Island for a vacation back in 1999.


There is a link to the MPRF on the right side of the page, Click on it to learn more about MPRF and the good work they are doing to protect Hawai'i's mantas. They recently got legislation passed making it illegal for anyone to kill or capture manta rays in Hawaiian waters.

Whale Shark Sighting

This photo was sent to me by Keller Laros of the Manta Pacific Research Foundation. On Wednesday afternoon they had a nice encounter with this female whale shark. Whale sharks show up in Kona from time to time and seem to be sighted more frequently in the fall & winter. In the background, just ahead of the shark's dorsal fin, can be seen a manta ray. Mantas are the largest of the rays and whale sharks are the largest fish of all. What a great thing to get both of these filter-feeding giants in one photo! Thanks Keller!