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I Spent 2 Hours Scuba Diving In Thailand To Capture Endangered Manta Rays (21 Pics)
My Name is Daniel Sasse, I'm an award-winning underwater photographer. I protect, defend and conserve the marine environment. With my pictures, I want to show people how beautiful but also how fragile the underwater world is all at the same time. It is so important to protect our oceans because every second breath you take is produced by oceans.
To take these pictures, I used a Sony NEX7 Camera in an underwater housing with 2 external strobes. These are the best pictures of a two-hour scuba dive I did at Hin Daeng, a dive site in the Andaman sea in Thailand.
The giant oceanic manta ray (Manta birostris) is an endangered species in the family Mobulidae and the largest type of ray in the world. It can grow to a disc size of up to 7 m (23 ft) with a weight of about 1,350 kg (2,980 lb) but the average size commonly observed is 4.5 m (15 ft). They are filter feeders and consume large quantities of zooplankton in the form of shrimp, krill, and planktonic crabs.
If you're interested in our marine life conservation work please have a look at our website.
More info: poseidon-krabi.com | Instagram
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Final score:
57points
LuB 6 years ago
That's the start of a great comedy skit/monologue. Keep going what ya got?
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Monika Soffronow 6 years ago
This is an amazing shot, subject, composition, colours, the depth, the light - I love everything about it.
Keley Babs 3 years ago
I'm sorry I'm so confused by this pic. Where is his other eye? And is that his mouth? Is one of his fins putting something by his mouth?
Marion Friedl 3 years ago
Manta Rays belong to the so-called bone fishes and are related with the sharks, they´re normally harmless, except if you stop on their stingy tail. But that´s not lethal, only painful, I heard in a docu on TV lately.
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#2
Final score:
53points
#3
Final score:
47points
#4
Final score:
47points
Monika Soffronow 6 years ago
Obviously a low flying UFO! The fish and bubbles are photoshopped in to make it look like seawater. ;-) Well, seriously, it must be a magnificent experience to see these giants up close. Let us hope we can help the oceans stay thriving with life.. in the future.
Marion Friedl 3 years ago
I don´t think the fish are photoshopped, usually manta rays, like sharks and some other fish, are "escorted" by some cleaner fish who remove parasites or algae from the big fish, so that those don´t hunt/eat them, they enjoy that service.
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Rocket ship 3 years ago
Awwwww! Look at its little face! We need to save them + every other endangered species at all costs!
#5
Final score:
45points
Marion Friedl 3 years ago
In the 1970s and 1980s in Germany we had a car called "Opel Manta", named after manta rays because of the super flat shape, a previous school collegue from BK1 had an Opel Manta in white, once she took me with her in it, what a feeling, almost like flying.
Susann Campbell 6 years ago
"Heads up there is a person type out there wanting to eat your peeps."
#6
Final score:
41points
Marion Friedl 3 years ago
I saw on Instagram that Daniel Sasse does scuba diving besides his job as photographer, it must be very exciting to dive with manta rays that seem to "fly" through the oceans. I follow him now, and I´ll also follow him here on Bored Panda when I´ll be done checking this post and pinning the photos on Printerest.
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Monika Soffronow 6 years ago
Try telling these guys that it is bad behaviour to eat with their mouths open...
LuB 6 years ago
And then there's that moment of doubt, they really are just vegetarians, right"
Load More Replies... #7
Final score:
41points
Monika Soffronow 6 years ago
Does each individual have distinct markings? Is it possible to tell them apart?
#8
Final score:
40points
Marion Friedl 3 years ago
It´s no surprise that Daniel Sasse won prizes for his photographs yet, he takes stunning photos. Good job. Congrats.
#9
Final score:
39points
Alex Forrest 6 years ago
Fantastic shots! Ever since I was little and saw a TV special showing divers riding on the wings of these sea angels, I've wanted to do that! Is there anywhere on earth where I could live out this dream?
Marion Friedl 3 years ago
First you´d have to visit a diving school, but I´m sure there´re some places, maybe in the Maledives, where you could live out that dream then.
Load More Replies... Graeme Kay 6 years ago
Get out the way you silly photographer man! lol only kidding, great work!
#10
Final score:
37points
#11
Final score:
35points
Monika Soffronow 6 years ago
Is there a term called 'aquadynamic'? For surely, it is not appropriate to use 'aerodynamic'! The elegance of the lines is really something.
Marion Friedl 3 years ago
In TV docus manta rays often look rather small, but actually they´re rather big fish. I love to watch TV docus about animals, but I wouldn´t ever visit any facility with fish like these in a tank or with any other animals in captivity, I prefer to see them in their natural habitat, and if it´s only on TV (I´m disabled and on social security, so I couldn´t ever travel to a place where I could see them for real).
#12
Final score:
34points
sharron lynn parsons 6 years ago
To see these amazing beauties, it would be a crying shame to think of them gone, we need more people to care enough about the oceans, not everyone understands the importance !!!
Julieta S. 6 years ago
They are like beautiful alien spaceships... how did the good Lord come up with something like this?
Monika Soffronow 6 years ago
They evolved into this over millions of years and will continue to do so unless we wipe them out with our mania for plastics and poisons.
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#13
Final score:
31points
Marion Friedl 3 years ago
If you look at the photos with a diver or two on them you can see HOW LARGE manta rays can be.
Load More Replies... #14
Final score:
30points
Monika Soffronow 6 years ago
How many of them did you encounter? Were they hard to find or do they stay in 'their' area? How deep do they go? Are they curious about you?
Marion Friedl 3 years ago
I think that varies, in the Maledives must be a lot of manta rays who often appear not far from the water surface, but they can also dive very deep, wherever they find plankton to eat.
Load More Replies... #15
Final score:
30points
Marion Friedl 3 years ago
I couldn´t even make out a favourite photo, I try to pin all of them on Printerest, for my followers to see them too.
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Guy Guyguy 6 years ago
How do they sting swimmers? I don't see anything obvious in the photos for their self defense.
#16
Final score:
29points
#17
Final score:
27points
Marion Friedl 3 years ago
Oh er please click on the photo URL to see my Thori.
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#18
Final score:
27points
#19
Final score:
26points
LuB 6 years ago
Thank you for the exquisite pictures that show what a magnificent trip it appears to have been. As I said at the beginning of this impressive collection,, you have given me the that nudge to work my way up to be able to maybe see those unbelievable creature for myself. Not only are you a heart touching artist in an unforgiving medium with uncontrollable subjects but,you are an advocate artist. You are their voice. and have spoken in one of the most powerful ways possible. All their ways of being graceful even beautiful,with open mouths and all. You showed us that so we would not be afraid but in awe, as we should, despite my feeble attempts at humor. It is my hope that this art show is shown in many venues for both it's beauty and aide in our oceans cause.
Marion Friedl 3 years ago
AMEN to your comment, I couldn´t tell it any better, posts like this one can raise awareness for the ocean and its wildlife. I hope that many many people from all around the globe will see this post and will share it on social media. For their friends/followers to see it either, like I´m doing it.
Load More Replies... #20
Final score:
24points
AzKhaleesi 6 years ago
Oooh, let's name the zones, the zones, the zones. Let's name the zones of the open sea: mesopolagic, bathyal, abyssalpelagic. All the rest are too deep for you and me to see. Oh, let's name the species, the species, the species. Let's name the species that live in the sea: There's porifera, coelenterata, hydrozoa, scyphozoa, anthozoa, ctenophora, bryozoas, three! Gastropoda, arthropoda, echinoderma, and some fish like you and me. Come on, sing with me. Oh...! Just the girls this time. Oh, seaweed is cool. Seaweed is fun. It makes it's food with the rays of the sun...
Marion Friedl 3 years ago
Are these song lyrics??? If it´s so it must be a beautiful song, or a beautiful poem too.
Load More Replies... Wendy Dyson 6 years ago
If you go to Western Australia, there are plenty of sting rays along the southern coastline. Some come right up to the edge of the beach and some people will stroke them. However touching them does incur risk!!
#21
Final score:
24points
Restless 6 years ago
Great photos, thank you for sharing. The ocean is so vast, makes me wonder what is still undiscovered
Marion Friedl 3 years ago
Actually most of the deep sea is still uncovered, humans or their devices can´t dive to the ground, they don´t stand the pressure. I fear that once a device will do it most of the ocean wildlife will be extinct....
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What do you think ?
Theresa Tzitzira 6 years ago
Awesome pictures, swimming with these majestic creatures must have been an even more extraordinary experience! Imagine if all this disappears from our world, if all this wildlife vanishes from our Home...what a sad Place to live it would be!
Marion Friedl 3 years ago
I fear the same things, which is why I sign petitions from WWF, Greenpeace and other organisations and post them on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and I try to make my ecologic footprint as small as possible myself, for example I never had a car in my life or took a plane or a cruise. As long as I was still able to ride my bike I used it to go shopping for food and so on, now I walk with my "Porsche for the poor" (walker).
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Auggie LaBonte 6 years ago
I accidentally happened upon a bunch of Mantas feeding while snorkeling in Maui, it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Wish I had pictures like this but the experience will always be burned into my memory, thanks for the beautiful pictures.
Monika Soffronow 6 years ago
I once had the luck to meet stingrays that were used to people feeding them. What has remained with me more vividly than anything else was how it felt like butterfly wings touching you when they swam by.
Diver Driver 6 years ago
Very nice... I know the difficulties to get good pictures at depth and distance... I can only imagine how many pics you must have taken. Great job.
AzKhaleesi 6 years ago
Oooh, let's name the zones, the zones, the zones. Let's name the zones of the open sea: mesopolagic, bathyal, abyssalpelagic. All the rest are too deep for you and me to see. Oh, let's name the species, the species, the species. Let's name the species that live in the sea: There's porifera, coelenterata, hydrozoa, scyphozoa, anthozoa, ctenophora, bryozoas, three! Gastropoda, arthropoda, echinoderma, and some fish like you and me. Come on, sing with me. Oh...! Just the girls this time. Oh, seaweed is cool. Seaweed is fun. It makes it's food with the rays of the sun... (Finding Nemo Mr. Ray's song)
Theresa Tzitzira 6 years ago
Awesome pictures, swimming with these majestic creatures must have been an even more extraordinary experience! Imagine if all this disappears from our world, if all this wildlife vanishes from our Home...what a sad Place to live it would be!
Marion Friedl 3 years ago
I fear the same things, which is why I sign petitions from WWF, Greenpeace and other organisations and post them on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and I try to make my ecologic footprint as small as possible myself, for example I never had a car in my life or took a plane or a cruise. As long as I was still able to ride my bike I used it to go shopping for food and so on, now I walk with my "Porsche for the poor" (walker).
Load More Replies... Auggie LaBonte 6 years ago
I accidentally happened upon a bunch of Mantas feeding while snorkeling in Maui, it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Wish I had pictures like this but the experience will always be burned into my memory, thanks for the beautiful pictures.
Monika Soffronow 6 years ago
I once had the luck to meet stingrays that were used to people feeding them. What has remained with me more vividly than anything else was how it felt like butterfly wings touching you when they swam by.
Diver Driver 6 years ago
Very nice... I know the difficulties to get good pictures at depth and distance... I can only imagine how many pics you must have taken. Great job.
AzKhaleesi 6 years ago
Oooh, let's name the zones, the zones, the zones. Let's name the zones of the open sea: mesopolagic, bathyal, abyssalpelagic. All the rest are too deep for you and me to see. Oh, let's name the species, the species, the species. Let's name the species that live in the sea: There's porifera, coelenterata, hydrozoa, scyphozoa, anthozoa, ctenophora, bryozoas, three! Gastropoda, arthropoda, echinoderma, and some fish like you and me. Come on, sing with me. Oh...! Just the girls this time. Oh, seaweed is cool. Seaweed is fun. It makes it's food with the rays of the sun... (Finding Nemo Mr. Ray's song)
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