Episode: 13
Title: Diving with Manta Rays
Broadcast: 29th April 2018
Presenter: Chrissy Morrissy & Trevor Cochrane

Mornings up here at Coral Bay are pretty impressive especially when you wake up to a view like this from your balcony, we’re staying at Ningaloo Reef Resort, situated in the stunning Coral Coast region of Australia and is approximately 1124km north of Perth. This resort is on the door step to something pretty special and some of us are pretty excited about what’s out there in the water.

• Just past the resort lays the world’s largest fringing reef on the Western side of the continent, Ningaloo Reef, and that's where we’re headed for our next adventure. There are several fantastic tour operators up here running unforgettable marine experiences right the way through the year, and today we’re headed out with Ningaloo Marine Interactions who not only run tours but also this research boat in collaboration with Murdoch university and today they’ve invited us to help them record some footage of the largest rays on the planet who frequent coral bay in the hundreds.
• With the manta rays we are very fortunate as they pretty much frequent the waters all year round as they come here to feed, breed and to get clean. Some 15 years ago it was realized a regular population come’s and go’s, so from there the photo identification program was formed. Every manta ray has unique markings on it so individuals that are coming and going more regularly can be identified. Since 2003 over 900 individual mantas that come into this area have been identified.
• The tour offers the chance to swim below the waters with these magnificent creatures. There are many different types of Manta Ray; some of the ocean going varieties grow to weigh as much as a tone and can get to 4.5 meters across, swimming alongside them here is something you will never forget.

W: parksandresorts.rac.com.au/
P: 1800 971 570

W: https://parksandresorts.rac.com.au/ningaloo/
P: (08) 9942 5934