A fever of rays is the correct collective noun for this elegant and graceful group of marine fishes. There is no shortage of many different rays in Sodwana. Sometimes I guess this coincides with prey availability and mating or sea conditions and season. Some of the reefs like Stringer, and even Bikini south, can be surrounded by a huge number of rays on one day and gone the next. The numbers are often best appreciated as you ascend, parked like aeroplanes against the reef. Round ribbontailed rays, leopard stingrays, thorntailed stingrays and sharpnosed stingrays are most common, and the marbled electric rays always lurk around Stringer, hiding in plain sight. In addition the ultimate ray, the mighty Manta, is also an infrequent visitor, together with his smaller cousins the eagle rays.

This year we had one unusual day on Stringer when the cleaning station on Big Stringer was covered in rays. They were literally lying on top of each other. Mostly Ribbon rays but some Sharpnose and Leopard rays as well. I can only assume these were gathered for mating. There was a lot of testosterone in the water on that day.

Stingrays are cartilaginous fish that inhabit coastal waters and are largely bottom dwellers, burying themselves in the sand. They have mouth and gills underneath and spiracles behind the eyes which is an opening which allows them to draw in water to pass over the gills even when the mouth is buried in sand.

The sting is a venomous barb or spinal blade midway down the tail. The blade is held flat unless the ray is threatened when it is raised and whipped by the tail. The "sting" is not usually dangerous unless it hits a vital spot or the injury is neglected and leads to complications like sepsis. The barb usually breaks off in the wound and may need to be surgically removed. Stings are however very painful and the venom is cytotoxic.

Only 20 deaths from stingrays have been reported worldwide, usually from stepping on the rays buried in sand, or else trying to ride the ray like Steve Irwin, the most famous victim. So don't.

They eat crustaceans and hunt by stealth, pulling up their fins to create suction under them and the unsuspecting prey gets sucked in. This is called tenting. Anyway they have an interesting array of crushing teeth which they shed regularly so next time you are on Stringer there is a competition to find the first stingray tooth. How cool would that be?

This is Tyla, our fabulous model who brought her own range of luminous brightness and beauty to our wide angle.

One of the great joys of underwater photography is capturing the kaleidoscope of vivid hues; colour, pattern and form. I still don't understand how or why this visual feast exists when the water filters out the colour and they remain hidden from view until the photo flash reveals them in all their glory. One of life's little mysteries.

There was no shortage of the big 5 this year, mantas, dolphin, shark, turtles. Just no whale shark sadly. This remains a bittersweet memory in Sodwana. Once so common, now the rarest of sightings.

This is a deviation from the sea theme but this year was a special one in our family because our eldest daughter and her partner, who came to dive with us, became engaged. They chose the beautiful white sands of Sodwana beach to make this commitment and I can think of no place better. Now we have even more unique and outstanding memories tying us this special place.

How's that for Wild and Wonderful!

Black and white is a genre that has long added mood and texture to photographs. It feels wrong somehow to take the colour out of the bright underwater world but sometimes it adds drama and encourages us to see the artistry of form and look beyond the literal.

What do you think?

I will leave you with that thought. I hope you have enjoyed a swim through Sodwana 2023. Thanks for taking the time to look at our passion project. We have such a good relationship with this place that will never get tired or old.

A special shout out to Greg de Valle and the one and only Scuba Centre for the superb service, impeccable dive guides and to all our fellow divers for fun on the boats and under the water.

Hope to see you next year for more fun in the sun and another stunning array of marine creatures.

"Staying on the surface of the ocean all the time is like going to the circus and staring at the outside of the tent"

Dave Berry