Promoted
Spaceship
This is the more common variation of the Reef Manta Ray - Manta alfredi, around 4 meters in wing span.
Manta Rays are also fondly called Gentle Giants as despite their size, they are harmless to humans and have lost the sting in their tail. They swim by 'flapping' their 'wings' in a gentle manner.
The markings on the belly of Manta Rays are used to identify them as they are like human's fingerprints. No 2 Manta Rays have similar abdomen markings. This has allowed monitoring of them as their photographs can be uploaded to an online database indicating the location where they have been taken. This photo will then be cross referenced to the database and if a match is found, then the locations they have been photographed will give an idea if they stays put in a location or if they move around to different locations.
They are classified as vulnerable due to overfishing and 'alternative fishing' in-lieu of Shark's fins :(
The reef manta ray is species of ray in the family Mobulidae, one of the largest rays in the world. Among generally recognized species, it is the second-largest species of ray, only surpassed by the giant oceanic manta ray .
Its scientific name is a tribute to the British Prince Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who was victim of an assassination attempt in Clondarf in Australia at the time the description of the species was published by the director of the Australian Museum Gerard Krefft.. more
comments (6)
I don't have the proper set-up for wide angle and using only a single strobe.
So, options for proper lighting is very limited and likely to get back-scatters in the pictures.
Still, I am happy with the pictures, and more importantly, to have close encounters with more than 10 Manta Rays in one day is a special occasion :) Posted 9 years ago
Non-divers can also get to snorkel with them too. Sometimes they come up very near to the surface.
Very often, we see them from the Boat when preparing for the dive at the cleaning station. Posted 9 years ago