Mantas eat plankton but they come here for other reasons too
They are drawn to this part of the oasis because of these little angelfish
that swim out to meet them
The angelfish go right up to the manta and gently clean it
eating algae and parasites off its flanks
They also pester the remora which clings to the manta
so they can clean the sore that the suckerfish has made
Mantas are huge powerful animals
They can swim 20 miles an hour and can easily avoid most divers
But they choose to swim with us
Like gray whales the mantas seem to welcome the touch
As I watch these creatures one depending on the other
I realize how everthing is connected
and how the land and the seas of the ocean oasis
are linked in a web of life that binds us all
Among these great creatures I feel embraced and protected
I wish I could protect them too