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UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTERS UNDER THE SEA

Here we are in Fiji, just cruisin’ around the Yasawa Islands.  We’re living with our friends, a family of five known as Sailing Zatara.

It’s a quiet, cloudy, pancake kind of morning but we don’t have time for snoring.  We’ve got a dinner date with a flock of manta rays who will leave without any warning!

We slip into the jelly-filled water and find a mysterious masked man who’s not a yachter.  He’s a dirty blonde and looks a lot like Riley from La Vagabonde.

His name is Rob and he is a fancy marine biologist who is far from a snob. He said it would be of no burden for us to come over for a tour of his coral garden.

But, if you want to know more you’ll have to click play because we must go ashore and I can’t keep up this rapport.  I’ve never been much of a poet and I’ve always known it.

 

Shout Outs 📣

A big shout out to our new friend Rob…who is one of those rare specimens without any sort of social media account 🤷🏼‍♂️. But, if you want to keep up with his work and his friends, check out: Manta Project Fiji

Want to help Manta Rays and the overall health of our oceans?  Tips and free helpful apps at: Manta Trust

If you’re going to swim with Mantas (yea 🥳), make sure to check this out first: https://swimwithmantas.org/

 

🙏THANK YOU!

Ups, downs and all arounds, we share it all. We’re able to do so because people like you show up each week, read, watch, comment, share, shop our gear store, and toss a tip in our production jar. If you like what you see, consider joining us on Patreon or there are lots of FREE ways you can show your support.

 

🎥CAMERA GEAR USED TO FILM THIS VIDEO📷

See All Of Our Photo & Video Gear here: gonewiththewynns.com/photo-video-gear

 

🎶MUSIC IN THIS VIDEO:

All From Artlist

Hello there! I honestly don’t know what to say, so I am going to tell you a bunch of random facts instead. I'm a fish eating vegetarian who hates spiders and loves snakes. I almost never took vacations growing up. I wanted to be Pippi Longstocking (still do). I misspell about every other word I write and still struggle with grammar. I love splurging on a good high tea (which is really hard to find these days). And whatever you do, don’t tell me I can’t do something, because then I'll HAVE to do it!

Comments (32)

  • karen

    Hey Nikki & Jason, after watching the awesome video of your dive with the mantas and coral, do you use sunscreen that is healthy for the oceans/coral? Haven’t heard you mention that subject…….:) 🙂 it’s important!!! P.S. been watching for over 3 years!!! Love love your adventures and you sharing them with us.
    karen

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    • Curious Minion

      Hey Karen. Nikki is super-conscious of reef-friendly sunscreens. The list of bad ingredients is easy to find on the internet, and with a little research you can find reef-friendly sunscreen no matter where you are on the planet (they can’t stick with one brand because they’re moving around so much). Nikki’s a big fan of zinc oxide sunscreens which form a physical barrier and give you the protection you need without a ton of chemicals, and they also wear their rash guard shirts and such while in the water which cuts down on sunscreen use. Keep saving the planet with us!
      Curious Minion

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  • Corey Roman

    Any update on getting to Curiosity? I love that the 2 channels I have watched for some time have become one, but i really miss the sort of… “no reservations” travel style I experienced from your own lifestyle presentations. More prayers for Mark and to the Zatara crew… and HUGE prayers that you guys get back to Curiosity VERY SOON!

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    • Curious Minion

      Tonga has recently begun repatriating its own citizens who got stuck in other countries. Based on how that goes, I don’t think it’ll be long before they start allowing a few people with special circumstances (like “hey, my house is in one of your boatyards!”) to come in. But they’re doing the right thing for their tiny country by taking it all very slowly and safely. Stay tuned – we’re hoping it won’t be a lot longer!
      Curious Minion

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  • Alan Solomon

    Helllooo Nikki and Jason.
    Thank you for another awesome video.
    I did not even see the political pop-up. I was so captured by the beautiful water, the aerial acrobatics of the Manta Rays, all the fish and the pancakes. I was thinking if you eat 2 of those pancakes you might sink to the bottom. Ha Ha… It was great to hear from Mary/Mom. I agree with those 2 suggestions too.

    I feel the same way Nikki. Many tropical places GWTW visits, there are always people working on supporting and protecting Oceans, Sea life and Plant life.
    I respect and support all of that. I like the Giant Clams. They are incredible, beautiful and amazing. Protecting them from poachers by caging them surprises me though. Unfortunately, poachers are becoming more and more a part of our lives in some society’s and economy’s. Best to you All….

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  • Tom Wettlaufer

    Can anyone out there explain why the mantas do the forward barrel-roll. When I saw the first one do it, I thought it might be a feeding behavior, but as the occurrences grew in number, I really didn’t see any ‘food items’ in their paths. It seemed like it was a ‘fun’ behavior. Just curious!!!

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    • Curious Minion

      You were right! They are feeding because, as big as those guys are, can you believe they’re eating tiny plankton?? All the tiny critters floating in the water are what make it look cloudy, and the mantas are filtering them out of the water. Their “horns” stick out in front and help funnel water into their mouths & over their gills. The “horns” which are really just soft flesh, are what earned them the name “devil ray.”
      Curious Minion

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  • Alisha and Micah

    Thank you so much for the amazing footage and information about sea creatures and corals around the world. My four year old and I enjoy watching these videos (don’t worry I watch them first!) and it’s a great way for him to see “real people” (as he calls you) interacting in a respectful way with the world. As a mom, that’s priceless. Can’t wait to see next week’s adventure!

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  • Margaret Daniels

    WOW… the colors unbelievable. Happy you guys are having some fun. Thanks as always…..

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  • mary

    I loved watching the manta rays doing their back flips! I think this must be where Nikki learned her skills??

    That was such a cool thing – growing a coral reef garden. I wonder if it can be done in waters all over the world? The last time I dove the Great Barrier Reef, the coral had lost so much of its color. Wouldn’t it be great if we could plant gardens all over the world?

    It is good to see you out swimming with all of the beautiful creatures in the water.

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  • Pat

    Thanks again for all you do. Sunday morning a cup of coffee and time to sit and watch your adventures. Just great way to start my day.

    Pat

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  • Diane

    I love watching your videos Nikki and Jason plus I think you two should receive an award for your generosity and humanitarian support for the seas and all mankind-we need more folks like you. Thank you so much. 👏👏👏

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  • OjaiLynda

    Who knew you could ‘plant’ a coral garden and watch it grow! Simply. Amazing!

    reply
    • Right! I thought it was so cool…and with the right conditions it only takes a month to ‘grab hold’ and start to grow.

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  • JOHN SCHRETLEN

    Some really great underwater clips this week. Well done.

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  • Addison

    Hey Jason! Those pancakes look so good, you’re making me hungry.

    I’ve never seen anybody smell eggs to check for freshness before 😂 Here’s a pro tip: submerge the eggs underwater. If they’re super fresh, they lay on their side on the bottom of the bowl. If they’re still good but not quite as fresh, they stand on their end at the bottom of the bowl, like Humpty Dumpty. If they float – toss them, they aren’t good anymore. This method has never failed me yet!

    Love following you two and your amazing journey ❤︎

    reply
  • Chris J

    Why is the video restricted and we have to sign up for a G suite account?

    reply
    • Curious Minion

      This isn’t happening because of what GWTW is doing. They do set the video as “not meant for children” because of the occasional curse word, so I think this is a problem for people who set viewing restrictions for their kids. A quick Google search shows that it seems to be cropping up for lots of people on their home systems but not on their phones, and I saw Disney mentioned several times. Google the problem and see what comes up in the help forums for you.
      Curious Minion

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      • Oh man, that stinks. Even though our video’s are mostly family friendly YT makes us select “is this video made for kids” and we always select “no”. I think they are trying to protect kids from watching the bad stuff, and they have different rules for video content made specifically for kids.

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  • Sandra Behler

    Why the political pop up ad??
    A beautiful video but hoping this is a safe space from the political madness!

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    • Don D

      You can blame YouTube for that. Or their parent company google.

      reply
    • Pam

      It’s not them…it’s youtube.

      reply
    • Curious Minion

      Sorry Sandra, but ads come from YouTube and are selected based on the things you watch. They Wynns control *whether* they happen but not what they are.
      Curious Minion

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    • Hopefully it was only a small pop-up, because we told YouTube not to show the video ads before, during and after this video.

      reply
    • mary

      I like that idea! Mom

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    • karen

      I watch their videos from the emails I get from the Wynns,,,,,,nothing pops up there much……… 🙂 🙂 🙂

      reply
  • Judith Glotfelty

    Thank you both for that wonderful trip to coral reefs. The Manta Rays were outstanding. It is hard being so far from your home but at least you have the wonderful Zatara group to entertain you.

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    • We’re so fortunate to have a nice place to stay, beautiful waters to explore and friendly people to celebrate each day with. 🙏🏻

      reply

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