Mike in the Wild

You're not on the Big Island of Hawaii long before you hear about the reef manta rays.  In fact based on all the promotions you might think these gigantic fish are a bigger tourism draw than the hot lava a couple hours drive away in Volcanoes National Park.  When night falls shortly after your late afternoon arrival in Kailua, you can don a thermal wetsuit, board a charter boat, and dive or snorkel in floodlit water to see the rays feeding.  Afterwards hot soup is available to take the non-tropical chill off.   Hot soup to warm up in Hawaii?  That doesn't sound like my dream trip to the Aloha State. Fortunately there's another option for seeing rays of a different sort and during the hotter, sunnier daytime.  Simply keep your eyes peeled for spotted eagle rays whenever you're near or in the ocean.  In fact on the first morning of my visit last week I saw one passing from a small bay into the manmade lagoon at my resort in Waikoloa.  With the ...