It may seem like your worst nightmare: a primeval underwater monster swimming straight toward you, its huge, ugly mouth wide open.
But the manta rays are gentle giants. That’s just one of the things you’ll learn on the Big Island of Hawaii during an on-land lecture or, yes, even a swim alongside the massive creatures.
The Manta Learning Center at the Sheraton Kona is celebrating its first anniversary this month. The hotel partnered with the Manta Pacific Research Foundation to create the center, not suprising because the resort is beside Keauhou Bay, one of the world’s prime viewing spots for the rays.