Do we swim with manta rays?
The sun hasn't risen yet but the beach of Puerto López is a swarm of people . Most of them are fishermen, who they extract from their boats the catch of the day in large, worn white cork boxes. A girl sells freshly brewed coffee with green plantain and cheese empanadas. Near the shore they have placed an elementary wooden structure, which serves as a fish stall.
A huge trunk of decapitated bluefin tuna stands out from the rest , next to it rest two octopuses, small fish and a plastic bucket with prawns, forming a kind of underwater still life. A few meters away a group of pelicans wait their turn to feast on the viscera discarded by the fishermen. In Europe these animals would attract all eyes, but here they are at the same level as the pigeons in the Retiro Park in Madrid.
In the background, the Pacific and its immensity overflowing with mysteries. Undoubtedly one of them is manta rays, an animal that today still generates many unknowns : It is unknown where they give birth, if they sleep or the number of specimens worldwide. This last point is due to its permanent wandering through the tropical seas of the planet.
Between the months of June and September, Ecuadorian coasts host one of the largest agglomerations of manta rays, when they arrive following the Humboldt current -which transits from the cold waters of Chile to Ecuador-, very rich in nutrients and plankton, its main food.
We headed to Bajo Copé, an underwater plateau about 20 miles off the coast -an hour and a half by boat-. It is a natural elevation in the middle of the ocean where there is an explosion of marine life . There is no visual reference to locate it, it can only be reached with GPS. This, according to experienced divers, is one of the best places to spot them.
On the way in the boat we came across more than 10 humpback whales , who also come to spend the summer season on the Ecuadorian coast, in search of calm and warm waters in order to mate.
The pelicans of Puerto López are a very common sight.
Seeing a whale on the high seas has something of an epiphany, of divine appearance . You have to remain in a constant state of vigilance, since its giant body only emerges above the surface for a few seconds. We locate a group of five whales and two of them begin to leap from afar, a majestic, unique and ephemeral show . shock to see the torrent of water that splashes after the plunge , as if a huge building were collapsing into the ocean.
WELCOME TO BAJO COPÉ
The strong wind and the blows of the stern against the surface makes the journey heavy but just by imagining the encounter with this fantastic fish, the smile and color return to the face.
After an hour and a half, we reached our destination. Literally a place in the middle of nowhere. Not even a hint of land, 360 degrees of an immense liquid desert. As if we were medieval warriors we put on the diving armor: first the wetsuit, then the vest, with the heavy and uncomfortable oxygen bottle, fins and goggles.
We will descend to about 15 meters deep , we are on the high seas and there is a current. The quality of the equipment, the boat and especially the guides are essential. We dive with the company Native Diving , owned by a French couple living in Puerto López, who at all times they offered a service of the best quality , in addition to a great complicity with the guide Jules and the friendly and attentive Andrés Valenzuela.
With the warrior's faith we throw ourselves on our backs, with the hand holding the mask, looking at the sky and praying to Poseidon may he be benevolent and illuminate the path to the manta ray with his trident. When falling into the sea, the body receives a kind of electric whip, the dream, the swell and all the negative energy of the big city are left behind. You feel more alive than ever, with an adrenaline rush that puts your senses at 100% , as if you had taken a sip from Asterix's canteen.
This is what humpback whales look like in Puerto López: a spectacle.
We start the descent: we go down 5, 8, 10 and up to 14 meters . You are aware that you are going down as you see that the colors gradually fade. In my case I prefer not to look up, because I get dizzy when I see the surface so far away. There is a moment of existential crisis -what am I doing here, when I should be at home watching a Netflix movie-, but it passes quickly.
The darkness of the descent gives way to a multicolored underwater garden . What before was anxiety and anguish is now placidity and harmony. It seems that time has stopped; down here there is no room for everyday problems or uncertainties no mortgages to pay.
The environment is surreal, soft coral abounds, with bright colors and undulating shapes, in a perennial state of lethargy due to the swaying of the currents. A school of parrot fish appears , always amused with his beak-shaped mouth, there orange starfish with violet spots, we also see some angel fish, puffer fish and others whose names I cannot remember.
ANATOMY OF THE MANTA RAY
We are immersed in a Cousteau documentary, but the manta ray does not appear. And in principle it should not be difficult to see them, since They can measure up to nine meters and weigh around 1,500 kilos.
Their diet is based on plankton, small fish and squid, and with their placid life, these fish can live 50 years . Many people are afraid of them, but you have to remember that they do not have a stinger, unlike their cousins the rays.
After a long wait, the manta ray makes its appearance.
Our guide Jules beckons us to a hole in a rock: it is a huge green brunette , which shows us his discomfort with our unexpected visit by showing his sharp teeth. after a few minutes we see two turtles, with their placid swim , as if it were in slow motion. Then a lobster appears , very difficult to see in freedom and even an elusive octopus , but no trace of the manta rays.
When I had already lost faith two blurry spots appear in the distance that move very slowly, as if gliding in stellar space. They look like the Millennium Falcon. Yes, there is no doubt, they are two manta rays . I look for the other divers, but I only see one, I make strange fusses at him, my heart pounds, I thank Poseidon with my thumb extended upwards, I get closer to them, his silhouette becomes more and more concrete , and especially bigger. They are huge, it seems that they are rhythmic, like dancing a waltz , they are still a few meters away, but I already see them clearly.
It looks like a prehistoric animal, it is truly huge , the upper part is dark, while the lower part is white. His mouth is also surprising, wide and deep like a mailbox . It has something extraterrestrial, with those shapes that are so aerodynamic, elegant and futuristic. Instead of coming towards us for a ready-to-wear photo shoot, they change direction and drift away from this coral oasis until they fade into the darkness of the ocean. True to their mysterious essence, they arrived, dazzled and disappeared forever.