Manta Ray

When I was 20, I was snorkeling on the back side of Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles. As I came out of a kelp bed, below me was this incredible and beautiful manta ray. The wing span was immense and the ray was so graceful as it glided along the sandy ocean floor. I followed it in ah of its beauty, and then it started swimming up towards me and the water's surface. The manta ray came close to me and I reached my hand out and touched its wing. It was an incredible encounter with a magnificent creature.

Since that experience, I have dreamed of getting a manta ray tattoo, but I could never find the right artist. Then, I met Mike Stobbe (www.stobbewan.com) from Avalon Tattoo II in San Diego, and that all changed. Now, I have my manta ray.

Beth Redmond-Jones
Senior Director of Public Programs
San Diego Natural History Museum