A diver blows bubbles on the belly of a giant manta ray as it follows him throughout the waters of Roca Partida.

Giant Manta Rays are harmless, curious, and very intelligent One of the best locations on Earth to have encounters with these graceful animals is in the Socorro Islands where they can reach lengths of up to 18 feet (5.5 meters). Mantas have been known to single out certain divers and befriend them underwater. Mantas can also remember a certain diver and find that diver again. Diver Todd Kortte made a connection with a Giant Manta Ray while documenting marine life at Roca Partida in Socorro. He was able to film the encounter and create this video to help show what happened on that day.

"There was a period of time when I turned off my camera and stopped recording. I wanted to be with this animal and feel this encounter without the distraction of shooting video. It's hard to explain, but there was a connection. This went on for about 45 minutes until I was low on air and had to surface. After I exited the water, the manta swam to some of the other divers and tried the head nod action, as if it was still looking for me or trying to get the same connection from other divers." Todd Kortte