Manta Rays

For the first time, an international team of researchers has used satellites to track the movements of manta rays, providing valuable new information about the massive rays, which are considered "vulnerable" to extinction  by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The preliminary findings for the Atlantic mantas showed that they traveled as far as 680 miles over a one- to two-month period searching for food, sticking close to the coastline. They also spent considerable time in shipping lanes, which rendered them vulnerable to being hit by freighters.

The smooth, quick and quiet Manta family coaster that debuted over Memorial Day  weekend at SeaWorld San Diego is just the type of thrilling ride the marine park sorely needs. PHOTOS: Manta roller coaster at SeaWorld San Diego The knock on the sea life show-heavy park has always been that it doesn't have enough rides. Over the past few years, SeaWorld has added a number of kiddie rides, but this summer the park finally got around to satisfying the tween set. For a 30-foot-tall family coaster with a top speed of 43 mph, the $35-million Manta manages to pack a lot of surprises into its modest proportions while even delivering a pair of firsts for a U.S. coaster.

Join San Diego Shark Diving Expeditions for a scuba-diving trip to Baja to swim with manta rays that enjoy having their bellies rubbed, and with tiger and hammerhead sharks that don't. The 10-day trip, Jan. 19 to 28, will be aboard a 60-foot yacht, the Viking. Participants fly to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and board the boat for the islands of San Benedicto, Socorro and Roca Partida. These islands are part of the Revillagigedo chain, about 220 miles southwest of the tip of Baja California.

For the first time, an international team of researchers has used satellites to track the movements of manta rays, providing valuable new information about the massive rays, which are considered "vulnerable" to extinction  by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The preliminary findings for the Atlantic mantas showed that they traveled as far as 680 miles over a one- to two-month period searching for food, sticking close to the coastline. They also spent considerable time in shipping lanes, which rendered them vulnerable to being hit by freighters.

One big step off the boat and into the dark. When I hit the water, I feel all the familiar feelings, the ocean seeping into my wetsuit, the frantic bubbles on my face, the ineffable moment when the body's gyroscope switches over from gravity to buoyancy. But nothing else is familiar. I'm floating free in the blue-black ocean, a few hundred yards from Kona's volcanic bluffs. The water is about 40 feet deep here, but just a few hundred yards to the west the Big Island's seamount plunges into the miles-deep oceanic abyss.

Two Florida boaters met a real sea monster when their craft was dragged for hours by a powerful creature that turned out to be a giant manta ray, the Coast Guard said Wednesday. Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Barnes said the agency received a radio distress call from a 16-foot boat that reported it was being dragged by its anchor line by something unknown. The Coast Guard sent a rescue boat to investigate and it found the motorboat being dragged in circles by something beneath the surface.

ONE big step off the boat and into the dark. When I hit the water, I feel all the familiar feelings, the ocean seeping into my wetsuit, the frantic bubbles on my face, the ineffable moment when the body's gyroscope switches over from gravity to buoyancy. But nothing else is familiar. I'm floating free in the blue-black ocean, a few hundred yards from Kona's volcanic bluffs.

Terry Kennedy was stunned, but he managed to push the button on his video camera and keep a steady hand. Joyce Clinton couldn't hold back the tears as she watched, but she, too, was able to shoot away.

A misguided plan to protect the threatened giant manta rays might be why Mexico has ignored applications from San Diego's long-range fleet for permits to fish the Revillagigedo Islands this winter. After months of seeking a response, Bob Fletcher, president of the Sportfishing Assn. of California, said he was finally made aware of the manta ray concerns while meeting before Christmas with government officials in Mexico City.

The smooth, quick and quiet Manta family coaster that debuted over Memorial Day  weekend at SeaWorld San Diego is just the type of thrilling ride the marine park sorely needs. PHOTOS: Manta roller coaster at SeaWorld San Diego The knock on the sea life show-heavy park has always been that it doesn't have enough rides. Over the past few years, SeaWorld has added a number of kiddie rides, but this summer the park finally got around to satisfying the tween set. For a 30-foot-tall family coaster with a top speed of 43 mph, the $35-million Manta manages to pack a lot of surprises into its modest proportions while even delivering a pair of firsts for a U.S. coaster.

ONE big step off the boat and into the dark. When I hit the water, I feel all the familiar feelings, the ocean seeping into my wetsuit, the frantic bubbles on my face, the ineffable moment when the body's gyroscope switches over from gravity to buoyancy. But nothing else is familiar. I'm floating free in the blue-black ocean, a few hundred yards from Kona's volcanic bluffs.

One big step off the boat and into the dark. When I hit the water, I feel all the familiar feelings, the ocean seeping into my wetsuit, the frantic bubbles on my face, the ineffable moment when the body's gyroscope switches over from gravity to buoyancy. But nothing else is familiar. I'm floating free in the blue-black ocean, a few hundred yards from Kona's volcanic bluffs. The water is about 40 feet deep here, but just a few hundred yards to the west the Big Island's seamount plunges into the miles-deep oceanic abyss.

The Universe Next Door Judith Hemenway Best Publishing Co., $12.95 * Landlubbers taking the plunge underwater for the first time will be alternately beguiled, terrorized and inspired by these highly personal, technically informative tales of veteran scuba diver Hemenway's most memorable dives in nearby and exotic locales. It's a riotous world of brilliance down there. Even our familiar local waters teem with surreal, voracious and surprisingly playful life forms.

They move with such grace and ease, through water so incredibly clear, that they seem to be soaring in deep space. And when you plunge into the realm of the giant Pacific manta, if you've come on a good day, one will arrive as your escort and take you on a cosmic journey that will leave you spellbound. The feeling is as magical as it is mysterious; your mind is cleared of clutter and filled instead with wonder.

Two Florida boaters met a real sea monster when their craft was dragged for hours by a powerful creature that turned out to be a giant manta ray, the Coast Guard said Wednesday. Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Barnes said the agency received a radio distress call from a 16-foot boat that reported it was being dragged by its anchor line by something unknown. The Coast Guard sent a rescue boat to investigate and it found the motorboat being dragged in circles by something beneath the surface.

Join San Diego Shark Diving Expeditions for a scuba-diving trip to Baja to swim with manta rays that enjoy having their bellies rubbed, and with tiger and hammerhead sharks that don't. The 10-day trip, Jan. 19 to 28, will be aboard a 60-foot yacht, the Viking. Participants fly to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and board the boat for the islands of San Benedicto, Socorro and Roca Partida. These islands are part of the Revillagigedo chain, about 220 miles southwest of the tip of Baja California.

They move with such grace and ease, through water so incredibly clear, that they seem to be soaring in deep space. And when you plunge into the realm of the giant Pacific manta, if you've come on a good day, one will arrive as your escort and take you on a cosmic journey that will leave you spellbound. The feeling is as magical as it is mysterious; your mind is cleared of clutter and filled instead with wonder.

The Universe Next Door Judith Hemenway Best Publishing Co., $12.95 * Landlubbers taking the plunge underwater for the first time will be alternately beguiled, terrorized and inspired by these highly personal, technically informative tales of veteran scuba diver Hemenway's most memorable dives in nearby and exotic locales. It's a riotous world of brilliance down there. Even our familiar local waters teem with surreal, voracious and surprisingly playful life forms.

A misguided plan to protect the threatened giant manta rays might be why Mexico has ignored applications from San Diego's long-range fleet for permits to fish the Revillagigedo Islands this winter. After months of seeking a response, Bob Fletcher, president of the Sportfishing Assn. of California, said he was finally made aware of the manta ray concerns while meeting before Christmas with government officials in Mexico City.

Terry Kennedy was stunned, but he managed to push the button on his video camera and keep a steady hand. Joyce Clinton couldn't hold back the tears as she watched, but she, too, was able to shoot away.