Where to go for the big stuff?

[PW1664]

Maldives has lots of big stuff, best from a Liveaboard though.... check these out....

YouTube - Mantas feeding at night - Maldives 2007


and this one, especially fro 25 secs in...
YouTube - Wonderful Maldives 2007 - Whale Shark as well!


More Mantas
YouTube - Manta Soup - Maldives 2007

[Suzuki416]

I snorkeled with 15 mantas during a 2 week live-aboard in the Maldives -
didn't see any whale sharks though but going to Oz later this year for 3 weeks so feeling optimistic....

[Justin Owen]

Giant Mantas at Koh Bon, Thailand but June out of season, think April is latest time to go...

Cocos for Hammerheads and Mantas, but you'll probably only find the Manta's on the surface to snorkel with - can't see you getting on a trip this year though - normally booked up 18 months in advance!

[JasonP]

The missus wants more Mantas and I would love to see Hammerheads but don't think we will get both anywhere so where do you suggest?

I've seen both of those on the same liveaboard trip in the Maldives. There's a resident population of hammerheads in Rasdhoo atoll. The mantas move with the seasons, so your best bet is a liveaboard. We saw about 40 on one dive.

Jason

[susanmac]

Just for you and McPinkie I'll do an impression of a Manta and a Hammerhead in The Sound of Mull . Of course, I won't be able to tell you if I'm going to be big or REALLY close up .

Love,
Your kaknav team-mate,
x.

[nickb]

My choice of location for seriously big stuff is Scapa Flow - is 26,000 tons big enough

[Stoneysteve]

This is instead of a Scapa Trip as we have been there the last 2 years as part of "Team Cacknav" ( me & susanmac)

My good lady ( McPinkie) doesn't fancy a Liveaboard with people she doesn't know so that limits us further.

I'm liking the sound of South Africa, will investigate further.

Can you do a Basking Shark at Ullapool in August as well Susan ?

[rooster]

For Mantas Kona, Hawaii (Big Island) is a good bet, esp. as a night dive as sonmeone posted.

Ningaloo or some of the off-shore dives at Coral Bay, WA - you will have a good chance at that time of year of seeing Mantas. If you choose WA, you are at the tail end of Whale Shark season but I was there first week in June and we saw it all.

Bull Sharks in Fiji is a nice one, bit different as well and a high chance of a sighting if you go on the specific Bull Shark trips.

[York_Tyke]

Did a liveaboard out of Phuket a few years ago that went up into Burma, at Black Rock we did 3 dives and had about 10 mantas each dive swimming in amongst us. All except one of the Burma dive sites was pristine and we were the only boat there. I think if you go March/April time there's also a chance of seeing Whale Sharks too.

[JasonP]

I've seen both of those on the same liveaboard trip in the Maldives. There's a resident population of hammerheads in Rasdhoo atoll. The mantas move with the seasons, so your best bet is a liveaboard. We saw about 40 on one dive.

Oh yeah, and on that trip, I also saw a whale shark. They're quite big too.

Jason