![]() Andrea Marshall gets up close with the giant manta rays of Mozambique. In the archives, two more incredible ray videos: California Devil Rays leap from the Pacific and Dr. They feed on plankton and small fish, give birth to a single pup, and are listed as endangered, but we’ve yet to learn the details of their population, birth cycles, or what keeps them healthy. Surprisingly, we know very little about these large “flying” creatures. Though it’s hard to tell in this clip, these animals are quite large, likely weighing over a ton and reaching “a disc width of up to 5.2 m (17 ft)…” This is also likely the largest school of rays ever to be caught on film, captured for National Geographic’s Untamed Americas. The leaps out of the water are spectacular as their pectoral fins flap in the air. Then watch them breach for reasons unknown. And boy is it popular, practically selling out every year! It’s perhaps pushing for a different kind of interaction between humans and manta rays: one where both leave alive.Tens of thousands of mobula rays come together off the coast of Baja California in a brilliant display of their massive numbers underwater. “At this pivotal time, recognising their economic value may help to encourage the protection of this enigmatic and now endangered species.” The Australian state of Queensland (which the Great Barrier Reef is located off of) boasts that manta rays come to the waters around North Stradbroke Island during warm summer months: “Your best chance to see them is to gear up and scuba at Manta Bommie Dive Site - known as one of the top ten dive sites in Australia.” Numerous scuba operators allow for the opportunity to dive, free dive, or snorkel with the majestic beasts. Stephanie Venables, a Senior Scientist and manta ray expert at MMF. “Interactions with manta rays are highly sought after by dive and snorkel tourists globally and contribute millions of dollars to tourism economies each year, particularly in developing nations,” said Dr. The very first photograph of Taurus was taken in 1982 Peter Allen/ABC Australia Their current status is a direct result of unsustainable pressure from fishing, which now threatens to destabilise their populations across the globe.” “When we first assessed manta rays in 2003 there simply was not enough information on the species to determine their conservation status and they were listed as ‘Data Deficient’, but on each of the subsequent assessments, their conservation status increased steadily from Near-Threatened, to Vulnerable and now to Endangered. Andrea Marshall, a co-founder of the Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) told Oceanographic Magazine. “The giant manta ray is a classic example of a species that is quickly succumbing to human-induced pressures,” Dr. Taurus is one of the lucky ones the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) lists the giant manta ray as “Endangered,” making it the first manta ray to be listed as an endangered species. What do you call a group of manta ray Manta rays are sometimes seen on mass, for example when feeding, they are then known as a squadron of manta ray. Giant Manta ray at a cleaning station in the Pacific. It is believed that melanistic rays make up about 10 percent of Australia's east coast manta ray. They are believed to live for at least 50 years and take up to ten years to reach sexual maturity. Kind of rare! It is believed that melanistic rays make up about 10 percent of Australia's east coast manta ray population. So each individual is born with this unique pattern, like a fingerprint, and that remains unchanged through time," Armstrong explains, pointing out that Taurus is also melanistic, which means he is all black with white spots on his belly unlike most mantas that have a white belly with black spots. "This year marks the 40th year since his first sighting and we had a sighting submitted of him about a month ago." How can researchers be so sure? “Manta rays have this unique spot pattern on their belly. USC's Project Manta database has identified more than 1,500 individual manta rays off the east coast of Australia. The ventral surface has a couple of lighter streaks near the head of the reef manta ray. He's been sighted over 50 times there and he's never been seen anywhere else," Asia Armstrong, a research fellow with the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), told ABC News. "He's seen quite regularly at Lady Elliot Island. Taurus was first photographed in 1982 by Peter Allen, captured gliding through the turquoise waters of the southern Great Barrier Reef at the Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort.
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