When Paul asked me to write a blog on favourite marine life, my mind naturally turned to the White Clawed Crayfish!
However, as tempting as it was to write about the ‘Vobster Lobsters’, there was only one place this blog was going to go – I am after all someone who even has a statue of a Manta Ray in his garden!
My first memories of Manta Rays come from childhood books. Growing up in London in the 1970’s, the exotic adventures of Willard Price seemed like a different planet and I was fascinated by this creature that could seemingly fly through water and also burst through the waves into the sky, flapping its wings before returning to the blue.
What I didn’t know at the time was that Mantas have the largest brain of any fish. Nor did I understand that the belly pattern of a Manta Ray is unique and allows individuals to be logged and tracked. In fact, whilst many divers talk in general terms about ‘Mantas’ there are in fact two recognised different species of Manta Ray.
The slightly smaller Reef Manta (still with a wingspan of 3-4 meters) is the one that most divers will have encountered. These inhabit the coastal or reef habitats and can be found throughout tropical waters e.g. the Indian Ocean or West Pacific. The Oceanic Manta is larger (c. 5m wingspan) and is distinguishable by a distinctive T shaped pattern on its back. Whilst both species are vulnerable, Oceanics are classified as an endangered species and are much harder to find, particularly as they are sadly actively targeted for their gill plates.
Once I had qualified to dive, rays of all descriptions quickly became a highlight and I was fortunate enough to dive with both Stingrays and Eagle Rays relatively early in my diving career. Mantas, however, remained elusive and, despite taking part in a couple of dives to ‘thila’ / cleaning stations, I still hadn’t managed to spend time underwater with any of my flappy-finned friends.
When I started my own business in 2018, I wanted to find a way to ensure that the business could not only be successful but could also ‘do some good’ and it was at this point that I first started to get involved with Manta Trust, initially through donations but then becoming part of their advisory board in 2023. It’s been incredible to learn from the passionate team there about the education and conservation work they carry out for these ocean giants and, during lockdown in particular, the webinars they ran became a weekly highlight!
With so much time spent locked down over 2020 and 2021 and with a big birthday approaching in 2022, I decided that it was finally time to get in the water with a Manta Ray. We headed to Baa Atoll in the Maldives and to Hanifaru Bay which, for anyone interested in Manta Rays, is one of the most special places on Earth. Whilst you cannot dive in the protected area of Hanifaru Bay itself, the chance to snorkel here is like no other Manta encounter you’re likely to have.
Mantas As Far as the Eye Can See – The Mantas of Hanifaru
I have to confess to getting quite emotional as a seemingly endless train of Mantas swam beneath us (along with a whale shark for good measure!) hoovering up the masses of zooplankton that hover in the nutrient rich waters of Hanifaru. However, whilst these encounters delivered (and then some!) for the sheer volume of these beautiful creatures, there is something special about interacting with Mantas underwater and I was desperate to encounter a Manta on a dive.
After a couple of fruitless dives circling a ‘thila’ came to nothing, I was convinced it was going to be another unlucky trip but then, on our penultimate day of diving, my normally chilled Maldivian dive guide seemed to be chasing me along! He urged me to kit up quickly and told me in no uncertain times that we’d be go in negatively buoyant and head ‘straight down’. As soon as we entered the water, I understood why he was pushing me to get down quickly as three huge Mantas emerged into view and slowly circled the cleaning station.
Mission Accomplished – Mantas on a Cleaning Station
As it turned out, we needn’t have rushed! Another couple of rays came to join the party and we spent a wonderful 45minutes hovering by the side of the cleaning station watching these graceful animals slowly come in to visit the Manta spa! It was an incredible dive and one I’ll never forget.
It Turns Out Mantas Like Divers’ Bubbles … But Are a Bit Shy When it Comes to Selfies!
Sadly, however, these beautiful creatures are under threat. Aside from the wider threats to the marine environment, Mantas are particularly at threat due to fishing. Indiscriminate techniques such as ‘long lining’ result in Mantas being caught as bycatch in nets. Indeed one of the largest Mantas I saw on my dive (“ Spongecake”) had last been sighted the previous year with fishing line wrapped around her cephalic fin (luckily it had become dislodged)
Even more worrying is in the sinister trade in gill plates with the Asian Medicinal Trade targeting Manta gill plates in the same vein as sharks are targeted for their fins. Whilst these ‘natural’ remedies have no proven benefit, they have seen a recent resurgence rather than dying out over time. As a result, Mantas are now listed on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species.
I hope to make a trip back to Hanifaru and potentially even try to dive with an Oceanic at some point in the future. However, in the meantime, I’ll continue to support the Manta Trust in all the great work they do to champion these truly unique ocean giants. (There are many ways you can help support too, including adopting a Manta!!)
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