Our Ninja Manta Research Adventure Returns For 2018!

Join Team Ninja next April (2018) as we head out on a Citizen Science Manta Research Expedition to the remote volcanic islands of the Revillagigedo Archipelago. A protected marine biosphere located 250 miles off the coast of Mexico that very few people ever get the chance to experience. An almost Jurassic Park looking group of islands that are consistently rated as ‘the best big animal diving location in the world’.  We’ll visit the islands of Socorro, Roca Partida, and San Benedicto. This is the place where dreams are made.

A place where giant mantas growing upwards of 7 meters (23 feet) actively seek out intimate encounters with divers. A place where pods of bottlenose dolphins are known to join the group to mimic and play with the divers.  The Revillagigedo Archipelago boasts over 10 different species of sharks including schools of scalloped hammerheads, solitary giant hammerheads, Galápagos, whitetip reef, silver-tip, silky, tiger and oceanic whitetips. Excited? Get ready, because this trip includes something even more unique…

Team Ninja invites you to take a walk in the shoes (or rather, dive in the fins) of a marine biologist on this amazing voyage. The Citizen Science Program is a chance for non-scientist divers to participate in exciting marine research activities alongside esteemed experts. And, our scientist on board for this trip is none less than one of the most respected names in pacific manta ray research, Dr Robert Rubin. Dr Rubin has been researching these beautiful creatures since the mid 1970s and has a wealth of knowledge of not only mantas but the vast biodiversity found on these islands.

Over the course of the trip you will find yourself learning how they tag and track mantas, help with photo identification as well as naming new mantas we find, and discovering so much about these beautiful creatures. Dr Rubin will host talks on everything from manta anatomy, conservation, sex, and even why they now believe these majestic animals may have a form of higher consciousness! And no pressure – each diver is invited to contribute to the research process as little or as much as he/she wants during the trip. You are completely welcome to skip the research and just enjoy the dives if you prefer.

For this unique experience we have chartered the Quino el Guardian, a liveaboard vessel designed with ocean research in mind. This will be our second trip with the crew of the Quino. On our last trip our guests couldn’t say enough about how awesome they were, so Quino was at the top of our list when we decided to run another Manta research expedition. They are hands down one of our favorite liveaboard crews in the world.

The Quino el Guardian is 90ft (30m) long and has a beam of 23 feet (7m) and has 3 levels including covered sundeck for relaxing and taking in the beautiful views between dives. She holds 4 quad stateroom cabins for guests – each equipped with their own air conditioning, 4 comfortable beds, power outlets, lighting, and drawers for storage. She is extremely seaworthy and approved by both the US Coast Guard and Mexican Coast Guard, as well as being fully equipped with all state of the art marine electronics and required safety equipment. But what makes the Quino unique in our experience is her crew. By the end of the last trip we all felt like part of the family. This mix of amazing crew, jaw dropping diving, and discovering so much about giant pacific manta rays makes for a truly unique experience unlike any other we’ve seen.

This is a limited offer trip with ONLY 16 total spaces (Sorry!, This trip is sold out! Please contact us to be added to the waiting list). So we recommend that you act fast. This is not a sales tactic, our last Manta Research trip sold out in only 10 days. Use the buttons below to view the full expedition details and reserve online to hold your space today. Or contact us at [email protected] or +1-973-619-9007 to reserve your space now.