411 Dive Log Australasia April 2025

As a professional Marinelife/Wildlife photographer perpetually seeking unique, rare and spectacular subjects, I often find myself travelling to remote Worldwide destinations with the aim to seek out a specific subject. This was the case with my trip to Socorro Island, 270 Nautical Miles west in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. This island is famous for its resident Giant Manta Rays, a species that is almost impossible to predictably encounter anywhere else. Giant Manta Rays measure on average 7 meters from fin tip to fin tip & weighing 3000 Kg, much larger than the common Reef Mantas at 3.5 meters & weighing 700 Kg. Fortunately Giant Mantas love scuba bubbles and will often pause to enjoy a spar providing a perfect photographic opportunity. But not for long as this pause also causes them to sink so our Mexican Dive master, while providing an excellent reference of scale and spar bubbles, needed to be very aware that the manta and he would not find themselves far deeper than planned, with me in pursuit. Image by Kevin Deacon. Location: Socorro Island. Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico. Giant Manta Ray and Diver.

Genre: Wide Angle, Sunlight and Flash Fill photography. Photography Data: Nikon D800, Nikkor 16 MM Full Frame Fisheye Lens. F8 & 1/125 th Second. ISO 400. Seacam Housing and Seacam Sea Flash Strobes. Photo Hints: Image capture of big animal marinelife subjects such as mantas requires a combination of balanced sunlight exposure and strobe exposure. Best achieved with Manual Control rather than TTL. However it is often best to reduce the strobe power to ensure white underbellies common to most pelagic ocean creatures, including mantas, does not get overexposed. In this case I needn’t have worried, this one was a Rare, All Black, Giant Pacific Manta Ray. Interesting Facts: Up until 2017 marine science only recognised manta rays as one species, thus the occasionally sighted very large mantas were considered mature examples of the same rays. DNA testing revealed two separate species, now named Reef Manta and Giant Manta Ray. Scientific Name: Mobula birostris

Kevin Deacon is a pioneer of Underwater Photography. His images have been published World Wide in prestigious books, magazines and advertising media. Kevin & Cherie Deacon operate DIVE 2000 based at Sydney’s, Northern Beaches providing Photo Guided Dive Travel Tours, Photo Guided Africa Wildlife Safaris & Sales of Seacam Underwater Photographic Equipment. www.dive2000.com.au

05

Dive Log Australasia #411 April 25

www.divelog.net.au