One of the most spectacular underwater experiences I have ever had – riding the great manta ray and it was the inspiration for Peter’s novel, Girl From the Sea of Cortez

From Girl From the Sea of Cortez - “The bizarre T-shaped head swings slowly from side to side…At first there was only one, rolling and bucking with the grace and precision of a carousel horse.”

From Girl From the Sea of Cortez – “And then, from the darkness came the sharks – hammerheads: silent searchers moving with a relentless arrogance that broadcast their sovereignty over the seamount.”

From Girl From the Sea of Cortez “The manta tilted its wing and arched its back, changing its angle to display a belly of sheer and shiny white. Five trembling gills were on either side, crescent wings like slices of the winter moon.

From Girl From the Sea of Cortez - “At the top of its arc it hung for a fraction of a second, titans of shimmering black against the sun that rimmed it with a halo of gold.”

Stan Waterman’s son, Gordy, seen here also getting the ride of a lifetime