Travel | Swimming with Manta in Bali (Indonesia)

I had this video for a long time in my video list and forgot to publish it, so here you go :) A new video after a long time..

Manta Rays are some of the most graceful and extraordinary fishes I have ever seen. They are very friendly and curious and sometimes, when lots of their food (plankton) is in one spot, they even make loopings for you, like you can see in the video.
Manta Rays are completly harmless, they do not have a stinger (otherwise they would be Sting Rays) so there is no need to be scared of them, even when they swim in your direction with their mouth wide open. They just want to have a friendly look at you and eat their plankton.
It is possible to swim with them at the Manta Point near the beautiful Island of Nusa Lembongan, a 45 min. boat ride from the south coast of Bali. Best is to stay at the island for 1 or 2 nights since the manta tour is every early in the morning.
We rented a small local fisherman boat for 600.000 IDR (~40,- Euro) for 2 people incl. snorkeling gear and fins. If you are in a bigger group, the price can be cheaper as you split the cost by the people coming with you.
As you can see in the video, the manta point is at a cliff coast so you have to be a good swimmer if you want to see the manta rays since the currents there can be strong and sometimes high waves can be dangerous too, so do not swim close to the cliffs.
Another option to see the manta rays is during a dive tour but in my opinion it is more fun (and cheaper) to see them while snorkeling since they swim close to the surface plus you are more flexible as you do not have to follow your dive master, do not have to monitor your remaining air in the tank, etc.

Credits: Chikarina (Youtube, Creative Common Attributes license)