Set on the edge of the dive boat, my fins gently swirled in the water. Looking out across

the vast, deep ocean, its intense azure blue was matched only by the sky above. I focused

my thoughts as any freediver would on controlling my breathing. The calm conditions made this day

absolutely perfect for a once in a lifetime encounter. My exact location is often hailed

as the little sister to the great barrier of reef. The Ningaloo coastline of northwestern

Australia is located in some of the most nutrient food-rich waters in the world and attracts

a number of migrating marine animals. Humpbacks, whale sharks, and also the animal I was on

the lookout for, which for some are said to resemble both devil and angel in equal measure.

The sound of a breathy gasp of air from one of the support divers surfacing snapped me out

of my daydream and back into reality.

They're right beneath us, he called out. It was time to dive. I gently slipped into the

water. Making even the smallest of splashes would have startled the beautiful creatures

I was soon to meet. Floating at the surface, I took a few deep breaths before plunging head

first into the murky blue. I peered through the water, hoping, waiting, and as if by magic,

there they were, three massive manta rays. Everything slowed down. It was like a dream. A delightful

sense of calm came over me. It was the way the manta rays were moving and circling in the

water. Swimming next to one another in tight formation like spaceships from an alien world.

Viewed from above, the dark upper surface of their bodies acted in such a way that initially

at least it left their whereabouts unknown as they blended in with the darkness of the ocean.

Only then for their presence to be given away by the sight of their lighter white bellies

flashing as they rolled and banked through the water. Like a living wing, they are perfectly

adapted to glide through water with minimal resistance. It was like watching an underwater

...