Snorkeler Channels Steve Irwin in Dream Encounter With Ocean Creatures
November 21, 2024
2,669
TikTok user Dev Skehan had an emotional reaction to a special swim she got to experience when on vacation in Maldives.
The 27-year-old, who is from Waterford in Ireland, cried with joy on camera after she got to swim with manta rays during a snorkeling excursion she was on with a group of fellow travelers.
“We [the group] pulled up to the first spot the stop and the first group plunged into the water,” Skehan told Newsweek. I waited my turn. I could hear them in the water screaming with excitement after spotting some wild manta rays.
From left: Dev Skehan is emotional after snorkeling with ocean creatures in the Maldives. She told Newsweek there were about 15 manta rays in the waters. From left: Dev Skehan is emotional after snorkeling with ocean creatures in the Maldives. She told Newsweek there were about 15 manta rays in the waters. @dev_skehan/TikTok
“I couldn’t contain my excitement to get in, but I had to wait my turn. The reason being is to not overwhelm the whole creatures and maintain a safe distance from them. This company put the animal’s welfare first, which can’t be said for 70 percent of wildlife excursions.”
In a video posted to TikTok by Skehan, which has received over 68,000 views since it was shared on November 19, the creator can be seen crying on a boat after he encounter with the manta rays, describing the experience in the caption as “surreal.”
The video then cuts to Skehan snorkeling underwater with the majestic creatures, showing a huge number of them peacefully swimming around her. She told viewers that there were around 15 of them surrounding her.
The fish, with their signature wide mouths and broad side fins, can be seen getting quite close to Skehan in the video. She told Newsweek that she only saw one of them on her first attempt in the water, but more came when she got in a second time.
Manta rays swim in the Indian Ocean. One traveler had an emotional reaction after a special encounter with them in the Maldives. Manta rays swim in the Indian Ocean. One traveler had an emotional reaction after a special encounter with them in the Maldives. @dev_skehan/TikTok
“In the second attempt we immediately saw two or three of them,” Skehan said. “When all of a sudden, an entire squadron [group of manta rays] appeared ear us.
“They were feeding on the plankton in the water. I could not believe what I was seeing! These huge creatures were gliding through the water like eagles; with massive wingspans, they soared through the water with ease.”
Manta rays are the world’s largest ray, and their wingspan can reach up to 26 feet. They are found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate bodies of water, commonly offshore in ocean waters. They belong to the Mobulidae family of species, which also includes other types of ray.
Skehan told Newsweek: “These majestic creatures were playing with me. Sneaking up underneath me, almost touching my stomach.
“This was a dream of mine as a child. I wished to be a marine biologist, and my idol was [late Australian zookeeper, conservationist and television personality] Steve Irwin.
“I was brought up to respect, love and protect animals. So, to encounter these beautiful souls in an ethical and surprising manner was a privilege and dream come true!”
People took to the comments of Skehan’s video with their reactions. “So magical,” posted Sharmaine Hatton, while Aisling Giles called it “the most magical thing I’ve seen.”
Viewer Bren commented that they were “so jealous.”
Has a dream vacation turned into a nightmare? Whether it’s a missed flight or lost luggage, we want to hear about your travel disasters. Let us know via life@newsweek.com, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Um die besten Erfahrungen zu bieten, verwenden wir Technologien wie Cookies, um Geräteinformationen zu speichern und/oder darauf zuzugreifen. Wenn Sie diesen Technologien zustimmen, können wir Daten wie das Surfverhalten oder eindeutige IDs auf dieser Website verarbeiten. Die Nichteinwilligung oder der Widerruf der Einwilligung kann bestimmte Merkmale und Funktionen beeinträchtigen.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
