iStockphoto / SHansche/NicoElNino
Being approached by a manta ray in Hawaii is a deeply spiritual encounter. It is said when manta rays (‘aumakua ) swim up to you that you are receiving ancestral protection, and the majestic creature was sent by one of your deceased ancestors looking out for you from the spirit world.
What that says about this guy who was approached by 5 or 6 ‘angels of the sea’ alongside a massive shark while he was fishing on a paddleboard over a reef, that is unclear. Did it take the strength of 5-6 ancestors to protect him from the shark?
Paddleboarder In Hawaii’s Encounter With Manta Rays And Sharks
In the caption of the video below, he says there were in fact 8 manta rays swimming around him. In another clip, he captured one of the manta rays breaching and jumping from the water. Just an absolutely beautiful encounter for this man and he was the only one there to appreciate it, making it all the more special.
While it is unclear exactly what species of large shark swam up to him, you can see the tail fin breaching and parts of the shark in the water during the video. The best shot at seeing the shark is around the 19-second video below. Check it out:
@alexsibert808 What a rush. 8 manta rays… then I turn around and big shark is right behind me. 😳 #fishing #hawaii #paddleboard #mantaray #shark
The top comment on the video is spot on. They wrote “I’m stressed, I can’t see the shark” which perfectly captures how I felt until the second or third time I watched the video and could finally make out the shark which seemed to be more curious than anything, and also unlikely to suddenly go into predator mode with the 8 or so manta rays in the area.
A previous video that @alexsibert808 had posted two days prior showed a massive blacktip reef shark, much larger than the ones I am used to seeing/catching here in Florida. But it is the manta ray breaching from the water in this clip that caught my attention. It really is so special to see them breaching:
@alexsibert808
The Hawaiian chain of islands really are unlike anywhere on the planet. I can’t fathom what it was like for the first Europeans to lay eyes on the islands, so lush and full of life, after being lost in the endless Pacific Ocean for months. It must’ve felt like a mirage.