Revillagigedos Ray of Hope Expedition Wrap Up April 24, 2018

Andrea Marshall, the marine biologist known as "Queen of the Mantas" and organizer of this wonderful diving trip, a "Ray of Hope Expedition" http://www.queenofmantas.com/ray-of-hope-expeditions/ on the Southern Sport, gave the group an update on the Manta data collected on our trip as well as some photos from the trip.  The group succeeded in getting Manta ID photos for 21 distinct Manta individuals, these will all be submitted to Manta Matcher, http://www.mantamatcher.org/  .   Liheng Ma, a student well on his way to becoming a Marine Biologist, put together an excellent video from our trip, including a great encounter of a juvenile Whale Shark which I only got silohuette photos of and of dolphins which visited us a couple times but I never got photos of: 
https://www.facebook.com/100004089040288/videos/vb.100004089040288/1433424280137193/?type=2&video_source=user_video_tab
Below are some select photos from our trip, for more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/0O9F2cXsDBU3sQmJ3

 Here's a collage of Andrea's favorite photos from our trip.

Here's a group photo of our group, dockside after our return.  I'm second from the left, next to the captain, in the back row.

                             One of my Manta ID shots, two "eye brows" and a spot on its belly.

    Looking up at Roca Partida, a magnificent dive site with huge populations of fish.

Wahoo, a tremendous gamefish, first I've seen while diving, and a Black Jack, upper right, at Roca Partida.

                                          Magnificent Yellowfin Tuna, Roca Partida

                                  Beautiful Almaco Jack, aka Amberjack, Roca Partida

                      Giant Manta with Black Jacks and a Remora

Mantas are social creatures, they have the largest brains of any fish.  When you look in their eyes you can see that somebody is looking back.

                                Another Manta ID shot

Andrea's collection of Manta ID shots from the group

 

Ten foot Tiger Shark at Hidden, now Tiger, Gardens.  We saw one larger Tiger Shark on the trip but it was too distant to photograph.  To make a point, it was probably 12 ft long, 2 ft longer than this one, probably twice its total size.  They add tremendous girth beyond 10 ft.

       Green Moray with White Tipped Reef Sharks

                                          Juvenile Clarion Angelfish

    Dos Amigos.  Guineafowl Puffer and a Damselfish

                                Redtail Triggerfish

                                Juvenile Green Turtle, Tiger Gardens

              Can you see me?  Stone Scorpionfish, find his eye, almost exactly in the center of the photo.

    Octopus hunting while a Flag Cabrilla grouper waits to ambush anything it scares out of cover.

                                Sunset, the Revillagigedos Islands.  A great trip, great crew, great boat, great weather, great diving, great food, and a great group.