While the text is the same as the sister forum - these are indeed different pictures.

So one day we took a boat out to go deep sea fishing. Originally I was going to bring my camera bag which had the DA 55-330 and the ever sharp DA* 50-135. After I saw all the dry bags come out I thought better of this and just took the K5 with DA* 16-50 strapped on. That fit nicely wrapped in a towel and in the dry bag. Figured I would need a wide angle for the boat

It never occurred to me we would see this. I'll bet we saw more than 100 manta rays , and scores of them flying out of the water. I am not sure why they do this one site suggests :

Mantas may leap completely out of the water for a variety of reasons. They may do it to escape a potential predator or to rid themselves of skin parasites. Or they may leap to communicate to others of their own species — the great, crashing splash of their re-entries can often be heard from miles (kilometres) away. It's anyone's guess what they may be trying to communicate. Leaping male Mantas may be demonstrating their fitness as part of a courtship display. Since these leaps are highly energetic and often repeated several times in succession, they may simply represent a form of play.

Regardless of the reason, I sure wish I had a longer lens however I will share what I have. It is something I will never forget.

These are already cropped pretty heavily.











Thank gawd for 16mp at least

[daacon]

I thought Mobula rays were the ones that jumped? They do look similar. Either way that's very cool! Would prefer to be in the water with them though

Thanks Mobula - it would have been very possible to be in water , very warm , bowever we did pass schools or groups or whatever a larege number of manta's together is called haha not sure I would want to be in the water then - they don't have a stinger (like a sting ray) however they do have teeth.

Nice Photshopping Dave and Pigs can fly too!! [just kididng bud] So cool and the 55-300 would work great on these shots. What a trip! JIM

Damn Jim you ruined my next surprise - Pig's flying in Costa Rica! Thanks Bud it was one for the memory banks for sure.

Daacon, this is interesting and educational! I never knew rays jump too. Not that we'd have them over here anyway.

Thanks Raffwal - I know despite myself I learned something as well.

[cupic]

Looks to me like a mating ritual perhaps anyways we all seem to be caught short in the lens dept but somehow we make due TFS Dave

cheers

[daacon]

Looks to me like a mating ritual perhaps anyways we all seem to be caught short in the lens dept but somehow we make due TFS Dave

cheers

Thanks Ivan - "that's what she said"

[Sailor]

Dang - I didn't know they jumped like that. Great catch.

Jer