Manta Ray

Manta Rays are my favorite animals. Gargantuan in size they can grow to have a nearly 30-foot wingspan! It's safe to say I'm obsessed with them. I was over the moon excited when I heard the local aquarium rescued one from a fishing boat mishap. The only aquarium in the United States that's even capable of housing such a behemoth. I had to see it in person.

I badgered my parents for the whole day after finding out when the Manta Ray would be in its new home. June 9th, I had it marked on my sea-life calendar in my room. That was only 11 days away. With such short notice, it would be hard to convince my parents to make the trip, but I wouldn't accept no as an answer.

My parents pushed back initially, saying "the Manta Ray will be there for many years to come, be patient." I wanted to be the first to see it. I had to be the first to see it. One night at the dinner table my dad asked me,

"So... how's school going? What did you learn today?"

"Funny you should ask dad, did you know that Manta Rays can dive more than one thousand me..." I said before I was cut off.

"Oh, here we go again, I'm very happy you have found something you're so passionate about, but how much does this aquarium cost to get into anyhow?" Dad asked with a promising tone.

Trying to hide my excitement from the possibility of making headway in my plea to go to the aquarium I answered, "It's $20 for adults, $15 for children under 13. We could all go for less than $75."

"That seems like a lot to go see some fish," my older brother chimed in.

"Maybe, but I have to go! Please, dad, I'll do extra chores for a month!" I broke character to proclaim.

"Alright, you win, don't worry about the chores, your brother needs to pick up the slack anyhow. Just promise me, I won't have to hear about Manta Rays again for a while after we go?" Dad responded with a quick glare at my brother.

With a short laugh and a smile, I couldn't contain, I replied, "I don't know if I can make that promise."

"I figured as much, Marine Biology huh? You couldn't pick something exciting to want to grow up to be? Maybe an engineer or a doctor?" Dad joked.

"Looks like you finally caught him on a good day, hun. I was pulling for you, I can't wait to go to the aquarium and have a much-needed family day." Mom said as she got up from the table. "Now go get your shower and head to bed, you've got school in the morning."

To me, there was nothing more exciting than the idea of learning about life underwater. Learning to scuba dive would be the next thing I would have to convince him to let me do. With enough passion and drive shown, my parents would help me fulfill my dream however they could. That's what makes them so great.

A large billboard on the side of the road with a Manta Ray true to size welcomed us as we pulled into the parking lot.

"There is no way an aquarium could hold something a billboard can't even contain," Dad said with a laugh.

"This isn't a normal aquarium, it holds over 6 million gallons of water!" I replied.

"You've been doing your research!" My mom said, with a hint of pride and a knowing look toward my dad.

"What a waste." My brother was in his normal disgusted mood, typical of a teenage boy.

The aquarium is my favorite place to be in the entire world. I think that will probably change when I'm capable of going on adventures in the ocean. For now, though, the example of thriving sea life is as close as I can get at the aquarium. I love spending time at each exhibit to closely monitor each movement of the animals. Unpopular to most, the plaques that describe the animals and plants are extremely interesting to me. I could stay the whole day if my parents let me, but that still wouldn't fulfill my desire to learn everything I could from the aquarium.

It's so beautiful the moment we get past the ticket booth. A whole new world, it seems, opens up and is displayed in front of me. The first room is filled with individual exhibits. Coral structures, Jellyfish of all kinds, Octopi, and a few different species of smaller fish, in different aquariums. The Jellyfish are some of my favorites, they are majestic in the way they float and bob.

I don't want to spend much time in this room, I've been here before, and although I would love to spend time checking out all the exhibits on a normal day. I had one thing on my mind. I hurried through the room, taking only a couple of pictures of the Jellyfish and the Octopi. Next was the small tunnel aquarium.

The small tunnel aquarium would be large in the scheme of normal-sized aquariums across the country. There was a little bit of everything in it. Small Sharks, large clumsy Groupers, schools of feeder fishes, and Turtles to name a few. I couldn't help but become enamored by the spectacle. The hue of dark blue all around me, fish swimming at all different paces, Turtles so large I don't understand how the water can support their swimming. A dazzling display of what could be described as a dance of nature.

There were more people than normal in attendance today. As the end of the small tunnel came, the room ahead was so crowded that the flow of foot traffic had come to a stop. I was stuck, one room away from the large tunnel that I had begged my parents so desperately to come to see. I suppose it makes sense though, everybody is taking their time seeing a once-in-a-lifetime sighting of a majestic being.

I took the time to take in my surroundings. The chatter was overstimulating. So many people that just wanted to make it a little bit farther down the tunnel. The animals were so lucky to be away from it all in their aquariums, the noise drowned by glass and water. The air was getting heavier with all the bodies in such a small place. It's usually quite crisp, fresh, and cool. I was becoming more anxious by the minute, something I thought had already reached its climax while waiting for this day to come.

We finally made it into the larger room that separates the two tunnel aquariums. Crabs lined one side of the room, pinching at bubbles, eating algae, and walking in their funny way. A large pool for smaller Rays in the middle of the room, where my love for Rays and sea life began when I was much younger. Many other exhibits are in this room, but the Crabs and Rays are my favorites. Well, they used to be, today and the Manta Ray would change that soon.

The pace of foot traffic through the aquarium quickened as a large group finally gave way to the hoard of onlookers behind them.

"Hurry guys, it's time to see her," I said to my family who hadn't noticed yet that we could move forward into the large tunnel.

We all hurried forward with anticipation. My pupils must have grown to the size of marbles as I caught a glimpse of the Manta Rays large fin sailing by around the corner. The excitement was impossible to contain.

"Did you see that, mom!" I shouted, joining the rest of the crowd in their loud banter.

"No, what happened?" She replied.

"How could you have missed it, her fin is HUGE, if I didn't know better I would think it was a boat on top of the water."

"Look, there's a place we can go sit to watch," my dad said as he pointed and corralled us over to the bench.

The bench was uncomfortable, but I would've sat there for hours. It sat in front of large curved glass that was meant to be an observatory section of the tunnel. It was the perfect spot. I could hear people, like a chain reaction, coming towards me.

"Oh, there it is!"

"She's coming this way!"

"Mommy lift me up so I can see."

"What a monster."

"Isn't it beautiful!"

Her head came into sight and I gasped, she was larger in person than I could have ever imagined. I couldn't look at her all in one glance. I had to take the giant in, piece by piece. Her head was shaped like a shovel almost with two large flaps that help her corral her food, mostly plankton, into her mouth. Her gills looked like I could slide right through them. Her pectoral fins took up the entirety of what I could see in the aquarium. They were strong, smooth, and marked so beautifully with black and white swirling around her entire body. Her tail went on forever it seemed. Whipping back and forth as she glided through the water with ease.

I saw her dorsal fin as she swam away, she could be mistaken for a shark with how large it was. I pictured myself holding on to it, swimming along with her. In my mind that would be as happy as I could possibly ever be. I knew I couldn't do that however, touching them can harm their immune system by compromising the mucus they have on their skin.

Her majestic beauty and size are some things that I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to witness. I plan to make it a commitment to come at least once a month to see her as much as I can. That day will live on forever in my mind.