Although the Marquesas isn’t well known for its diving, there is one marine animal that loves to cruise its steep shorelines: the Manta Ray.

We heard Mantas were around Tahuata, but they remained elusive. We wanted to try a new strategy here: use night lights to attract the plankton, Mantas’ favorite food.

This was also Deena’s first time snorkeling at night. It is always exciting to jump into the dark ocean, so full of foreboding mysteries and scary critters that you can’t see. Like the boogies monster under the bed, however, such fears are usually unfounded, and we get to see a new twilight world underwater.

Schools of fish were attracted to our lights. A tiny juvenile fish (called a moorish idol) deciding to be our friend; he kept trying to scamper into Spencer’s shorts. A weird marine worm came hitchhiking in Sabrina’s wetsuit, the cause of a long study afterwards.

Although we didn’t find the Mantas on this snorkel, the night time discoveries didn’t disappoint!

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