Yap Manta's
The mantas in Yap are unique though - Yap is one of the few known location where
mantas stay in one place year in and year out. During the mating season
(December to late April in Yap), the mantas gather in large numbers and several
males can bee seen courting single females. The actual mating is done
belly-to-belly. Some fifteen months later, the result is born - usually one, but
sometimes two, manta "pups", only a feet wide, rolled up as tubes. They are born
alive and become active as soon as they have rolled out their wings. The actual
birth of a manta is something rarely seen by man, and it has only been captured
on film once.
Whale Sharks - Zanzibar
The key season is November till March. The easiest way to guarantee a dive or
snorkel with whale sharks is to cross the Channel to the Funzi bay adjacent to
Shimoni, in Kenyan waters. Since El Nino there has been a huge increase in the
number of regular sightings in these waters, with not a week going by with none
around. January, February remain the peak season.
Layang Layang is a wall diving mecca. The ocean floor drops to an amazing
2000 metres from the edge of the atoll. The combination of deep water and
pristine walls attracts big fish galore. One of Layang Layang's famous resident
is the Hammerhead sharks. Big school of these rarely seen oceanic sharks
congregate here, their silhouettes dramatically plastering the clear blue water
with a "hammerhead wallpaper".
Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus)
Western Australia is privileged to be the only place in the world known to be
visited by the mysterious whale shark (Rhincodon typus) on a regular basis.
Each year, just days after the mass spawning of corals on the Ningaloo Reef
(near Exmouth) in March and April, whale sharks appear in the waters along the
front of the reef, remaining for up to a month. It is thought that they come to
feed on an explosion of marine life that feeds on the coral spawn. Most of these
visiting whale sharks are immature males. It remains an intriguing puzzle why
this particular section of the population visits our coast. Whale sharks will
grow to over 12 metres in length, which is about the size of a large bus. These
gentle ocean giants are often confused with whales because of their large size
and feeding habits. They are, however, sharks, albeit the least fearsome of this
group, and their closest relatives are the nurse and wobbegong sharks.
Sharks - Aliwal Shoal
The raggies typically arrive in mid/late June on the Aliwal Shoal as part of
their migratory pattern. Both males and females congregate on the northern
section of the Aliwal Shoal in the spectacular recesses of Raggie Cave (18m) and
Cathedral (27m). These are not the only areas but certainly some of the most
spectacular. By day the Raggie is a docile creature that moves slowly about the
reef, but by nightfall the behaviour changes considerably and the interaction
with divers changes drastically from one of avoidance to one of contact.
Turtles - Sipadan
Sipadan is famous for it's large population of green turtles.The turtles are
there year-round, but the highest concentration is during the month of August
(with a whole lot of mating going on). You will probably get to see at least ten
turtles on every dive, either sleeping on the corals or swimming by, a very
photogenic site indeed!
Humpback Whales
Viewing humpbacks ...There is no set way to see them other than to be on the
water and add some luck. We have had them sit in front of the Lodge for days at
a time, as well as see them meander past the gaps seeking plankton. Most
commonly, encounters occur when you cross the Channel between Shimoni to Pemba
or big game fishing when you are on the sea all day. Usually the first sighting
is a breach followed by a blow, and then a huge tail fluke appears. Mostly seen
are mothers and calves travelling together, but single males are also seen.
Sitting alongside them on a boat has to be done once in your life !
