Pelagic/Oceanic Manta Ray

This Pelagic/Oceanic Manta - Manta birostris is the biggest among all the Ray family. They can grow up to 7 meters wingspan! This one was probably around 5-6 meters.

As their name imply, they are oceanic in nature, meaning they don't tend to hang around the reef on a regular basis, like the Reef Manta - Manta alfredi. Therefore, they are not as reliable seen like Reef Mantas except for a few locations i.e. Socorro, Mexico and in this case, Malapascua, Philippines.

In Malapascua, Philippines, they have been known to visit the cleaning station, seasonally. That means they are not see the whole year round, possibly due to their migration. When they showed up at the cleaning station, they tends to stay for a few weeks before disappearing. Some of them have been seen to return for several years, this can be determined by their IDs (spots on their belly). This particular one has a damaged cephalic fins/lobes. They uses this cephalic fins/lobes to channel water into the large, forward-pointing, rectangular mouth when it is feeding. They are filter feeders, and feeds on tiny planktons.