Do we have cool beasties in our Gulf waters or what?! Check out the wingspan on this Manta Ray... the pictures were taken from a helicopter flying along the coast.

Manta's are harmless creatures, even though they're huge... well, I guess you could be hurt by one, but I've never heard of it happening. Anyone?

You can see more of this kind of thing in our Destin Photo Gallery.

Ok, here's the picture to go along with that post...

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another interesting tidbit:

see how the tips of the manta ray's wings curl up out of the water? well, from a swimmer's perspective, those wings can look like the dorsal fin of a shark, and people often mistake manta rays for sharks.

as far as them being harmless... I have actually seen someone ride a jetski up to the manta ray, slide off the ski and onto the ray, and then hang on and ride until the ray dove down underwater. the ride was only about 50 yards, but it looked like alot of fun!

It may have been fun for the guy riding... but, I bet the Manta Ray didn't like it very much... poor thing was just cruising along trying to get a bite to eat and some redneck jumped on his back?

EEEK! I wouldn't advise it to anyone.

Nature is best appreciated without a redneck attached.

haha- never thought of it that way.

Mantas sure are scary looking. They're like big aquatic bats with big claws for a mouth or something. I don't think I'd ever want to ride one, but yeah, I hear they're pretty harmless.

Manta claws.. ho ho ho. :D

Where was that picture taken?! I haven't seen one of those in the water it must be amazing. Do you know where to go to see one? That is just too neat!

The picture of the Manta Ray was taken from a helicopter flying along the Gulf Coast between Panama City Beach and Destin. I'm not sure exactly where along the coast it was... somewhere near Seaside I think.

But you can see Manta's anywhere along the Emerald Coast, even one's that size. I've seen them in the St. Andrews pass in Panama City Beach and in the Gulf near Destin.

More Manta Ray pics here.

Cool, thanks! What's the best way to get out to see them? We are thinking of renting a pontoon boat and go out looking.

That's exactly the best way. You can boat through the pass and the bay, and stop wherever you like for as long as you like. And if you see Manta Rays, you can head toward 'em! Just be careful and keep an eye on other boaters who may be heading in the same direction...

Last fall my wife and I were staying at the Majestic Sun. From our balcony one morning we saw a formation of four rays! They were cruising in a perfect diamond formation searching for food not too far from the shore. Amazing! Of course, the next morning we saw a 5 foot shark from our balcony swimming about 25 foot from shore. That is what is so great about Destin. The water is so clear you can see what is going on beneath the surface!

Getting a good vantage point in the air means you can see all kinds of marine wildlife... take a look at these dolphins!

Seen from the air you get a different sense of their agile ability to move through their environment... and you see just how startling clear our Gulf waters are!

This past weekend I went to Gulf World here in Panama City Beach and was able to see and physically touch some smaller rays in a shallow pool exhibit. They're really smooth and slippery little guys and they get skittish if you touch their tails. I'd recommend a stop by there if any of you are in town.

More information about Gulf World.

Thanks, Jason for the recommendation. We are planning to visit Gulf World while we are in Destin. Any advice about days of week or time of day its best to go? I read that you can swim with dolphins there for a price - have you done that or seen them do it? Looking forward to our trip.

Gulf World has several different programs, and they've all got something to say for them. If you'd like more info on the them, read this article.

There are other ways to see dolphins while you're in Destin. You can rent a pontoon or go on dolphin sight-seeing trips, for instance...