But when it leaps out of the water and arcs up toward the sky, this humpback looks like a graceful water acrobat. For its next routine, it will swim on its back with both flippers in the air, roll over, and slap its flippers on the water. Spinner Dolphins Named for the way they leap into the air and spin around, spinner dolphins can make up to 14 spins in a row before splashing back down into the water. The manta ray can leap up to 5 feet out of the water, emerging headfirst to revolve in a slow, breathtaking cartwheel before falling back into the sea. A manta ray's huge fins look like wings and span up to 20 feet.
Manta means cloak in Spanish.