Get out of the ray!
An incredible viral photo captured the moment a manta ray jumped out of the water behind a surfer in Florida.
Photographer Rudy Escandell told WOFL he was at Satellite Beach near Patrick Space Force Base with relatives Sunday, snapping shots his son surfing, when he captured the giant creature leaping out of the water — and didn’t even take notice at first.
“Saw the splash behind the surfer I was photographing, using burst mode catching several frames in a row, but didn’t realize it was a manta ray until I got home and was reviewing the picture!” he said.
The ray, he estimated, was at least 8 feet long, “but probably bigger.”
He posted the stunning snap on Facebook with the caption, “Photo bombers, they want all the attention lol.”
It was picked up by the Satellite Beach Facebook page, where it then captured the internet’s attention.
“One in a million chances of catching this photo!” one commenter wrote. “Great photo!”
“Wow, I’ve seen whales, sharks and small fish jumping but first time I’ve heard about Manta Rays jumping…great photo!” another person posted.
“Looks as though it’s showing this surfer how it’s really done,” added another.
Escandell, who owns a local automotive business, told WKMG-TV he spends a great deal of time by the water and has seen rays before, but this was his first time snapping such a shot.
Meanwhile, his two marine biologist daughters are impressed, he said.
“They’re pretty cool, calm and collected but they’re pretty excited,” Escandell told the station. “They’re very excited about it.”