KOMODO MANTA GALORE: Playful Day With Manta Rays

It was a bright sunny day, kapal kami menyusuri area perairan Taka Makassar di Taman Nasional Komodo, Flores. Laut sangat tenang hari itu, kami melihat bayangan-bayangan hitam di laut, manta ray! Saya langsung mengambil fin dan bersiap turun.

It was a bright sunny day, our boat down the water area of Taka Makassar in Komodo National Park, Flores. The sea was very calm on that day, we saw dark shadows on the ocean, manta ray! I immediately took my fins and plunging down.

Air laut komodo terasa dingin di hari yang cerah ini, baru sebentar berada di air, saya langsung berhadapan dengan satu pari manta yang berenang berputar-putar di area ini. Kami melihat beberapa manta lain di depan dan langsung mengejar "burung laut" yang terlihat sangat elegan ini.

The Komodo ocean water was cold on that sunny day, I have only been in the water for a while, I was immediately faced with one manta ray swimming around in circles in this area. We saw some other mantas in front of us and directly pursue the "seabird" which looks very elegant.

Berbeda dengan ikan pari (stingray), pari manta (manta ray) tidak memiliki "duri" dengan sengatan di buntutnya, kita dapat berenang bersama manta ray dan terkadang pari manta ini membiarkan kita berenang sangat dekat, but always remember not to touch them at all, ok? ;)

Unlike the stingray, manta ray does not have a "thorn" with a sting in its tail, we can swim with manta rays and sometimes manta rays let us swim very close to them, but always remember not to touch them at all, ok? ;)

Di antara kumpulan manta ray ini terdapat satu black manta, pari manta berwarna hitam pekat yang terlihat berbeda dari manta lain yang berwarna hitam dominan, dengan cephalic lobe (bagian di kiri kanan mulutnya) dan bagian bawah badan yang berwarna putih. Seluruh tubuh black manta didominasi warna hitam, hanya ada pattern putih sedikit saja di bagian bawah tubuhnya.

Among the pack of manta rays, there is one black manta, a manta ray with black color that looks different from others for its black dominant color, with cephalic lobe (the part on both sides of the mouth) and the bottom of the body which color is white. The whole body of black manta is dominated by black color, there are only a few white pattern on his lower body.

Black manta ini juga berukuran lebih besar dibanding manta lainnya, berhadapan dengan black manta dan memperhatikan gerakan tubuhnya yang gemulai sangat menakjubkan. It's a really perfect day, cuaca cerah, laut yang clean and clear, manta ray yang "menyambut" kami. All we want is just time to stop so we can play with them whole day :)

Black manta is also larger than the other manta, dealing with black manta and paying attention to its graceful body movements is so amazing. It's a really perfect day, sunny weather, the sea is clean and clear, and manta ray who "welcomed" us. All we want is just to stop time so we can play with them a whole day :)

This visit to Manta Spot is my best manta ray experience, universe has been so kind to us.. until we meet again, manta rays!

@marischkaprue - still learning to dance with manta ray

Photos by Ferry Rusli & Ruby Perkasa (11 & 12)

NOTES

MANTA SPOT

Komodo National Park

Flores - Indonesia

This manta experience is a part of Clean & Clear #SiapTerus Trip to Komodo for Traveler winner on challenge 8 jam Siap Terus. See more about #SiapTerus on Instagram

MORE MANTA SPOT IN INDONESIA:

• Dancing with the manta ray (BALI)
• Manta Show at Manta Sandy (RAJA AMPAT)
• In the Middle of Manta Party (BALI)

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