Drone Footage Captures 'Mesmerizing' Manta Rays Feeding at Night Off Hawaiian Coast

Dazzling drone footage off the coast of Kona, Hawaii, captures a group of snorkelers getting an intimate view of manta rays feeding at night, video uploaded on February 5 shows. Video recorded by Michael Holzworth shows the manta rays, which he described as “16-24ft wingspan underwater giants,” swimming underneath a silhouetted group of snorkelers who stay afloat by holding onto buoyant objects like surfboards. Holzworth explained to Storyful that the lights attached to the bottom of the surfboards attract plankton, which are the main source of a manta ray’s diet, drawing the creatures to the surface. “I’ve done this excursion six times now and watching how graceful these creatures move is nothing short of mesmerizing,” Holzworth wrote in the caption of his Facebook post. Credit: Michael Holzwarth via Storyful