As my friend was not in the favour of the idea, I had to do it alone. I booked an agent named Diving Indo which was a Russian based company. So I went there early in the morning and I was directed to a girl name Anya who was the snorkeling guide. I was to join with another Russian couple. We were to go with another 3 teams two of which were doing diving.
After checking the snorkel and the find that suited my body, I was given a brief description about the journey. We were to do two dives namely Manta Point and Crystal Bay. So after a short ride to the beach we waited till the high tide for the boat to come near the shore. Then all the equipment was loaded and we got into the boat towards Manta Point.
It took us about 45 minutes. The landscape on either side was spectacular. On either side there were rocky formations covered with green flora. That was mesmerizing with the nice blue colour of the ocean. These were one of the most beautiful landscapes that I have ever seen. Everyone in the boat was fascinated by it. It was as an invitation for us to witness the sea life.
When we reached the Manta Bay which was our first snorkeling point it was really agitating. The divers were preparing for the dive while we waited for our turn. The sea was so rough with the wind the boat was almost toppling. When all the divers went in we also jumped in. I didn't use any life jacket. But the sea was so rough and it took me sometime to get adjusted to the conditions there.
Finally Anya said to look down as there were Mantas. It was really a wonder. I have never seen Mantas so close. The sea was not that deep may be around 10-15 m. So even though you were snorkeling you could actually see the Mantas in the bottom as if they were so close to you. It was amazing to see those giant creatures moving to and fro with their rays lagging behind. I wish I was a diver so that I could have actually taken a closer look and maybe even go behind one. But I had to be satisfied with the view. Apart from the Mantas there were nothing much to see as we were on the top.
So after spending about 45 minutes we took off and went towards the Crystal Bay where we had our lunch. They had prepared a wonderful meal of rice, chicken and other vegetables which was very delicious.
Crystal Bay was calmer than the Manta Point. We were to move with the current so that there was no turmoil and it was not exhausting. But the water was colder. We could see many fishes specially many reef fishes and corals underneath. There were some banana fish and butterfly fishes. But the sea was bit polluted. So not much of a diversity was observed.
Thus ended the snorkeling tour in Bali. As I mentioned previously, Bali is a country which can give you diverse experience. We all were a happy gang at the end of the journey being able to see the Mantas and and being able to return safely back to the island.
One of the key things to get is to notice how well organized they are. They were ready to cater to the diverse needs and the backgrounds of the tourists belonging to various nationalities. In terms of hospitality, food, safety, guidance they were doing a pretty good job. Even small things like giving the lunch packed in a small lunch box, having fruits, dustbins are pretty awesome and made everyone around comfortable.
If you go to Bali, a snorkeling experience, specially with Mantas is a thing that should not be missed.
Await for another interesting story from my expeditions.
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