The ocean water has been simply delightful lately- warm, green and clear.  Water temperatures reach their peak on the Outer Banks during the month of August.  One of the joys of this time of year is viewing manta rays. They have been seen recently in the vicinity of the Outer Banks Pier.  These large rays can be seen in late summer when the jump from the water.  While they can grow to 20 feet across, manta rays viewed off the Outer Banks are much smaller.  They are dark on top, with a lighter underside.  Three different types of jumps have been observed- straight jump with the head landing first, straight jump with tail landing first, and manta rays have even been known to do a somersault in mid air!  Manta is Spanish for blanket, they appear similar to a bed covering as the gracefully glide through the ocean.  Manta rays pose little danger to humans.  Because of their size, their only natural predators are large sharks.