![]() ![]() It’s this fact that makes it easy for photographers to contribute to the “citizen science” of manta ray research. Mantas all have unique markings, the spots on their belly is their own unique “finger print”. The graceful movements of a manta ray disappear when dozens of males are chasing a female all throughout the water column. When a mating dance happens, the energy rockets up tenfold! The chaos of mating sessions makes feeding look like a calm and orderly procession. Mantas are intelligent creatures and will avoid swimmers (mostly!). It’s an amazing site to watch and best experienced by snorkeling. When feeding, mantas spread out in a vertical formation, one just above and behind another in order to “stream” off each other. The most dramatic way to encounter manta rays is when they congregate in large numbers to feed at the surface or attempt to mate. Mobula birostris, Pelagic Manta Feeding and Mating Manta rays visit these areas on a regular basis to have the “cleaners” pick parasites off their skin, mouth, and gills. Cleaning stations are areas where resident cleaner wrasse and other cleaner fish live. The most common sites to encounter manta rays are “cleaning stations”. Pelagic mantas are regularly visitors to sea mounts throughout the West Papua region. Sites such as Manta Alley and Makassar Reef in Komodo, Manta Point in Bali, and Manta Sandy in Raja Ampat are well known areas for reef mantas. In Indonesia, we are lucky to encounter both species of manta rays, with reef mantas being more prevalent. Pelagic mantas, on the other hand, live in deeper waters and roam over a larger territory, but not too far. As the “common” names suggest, reef mantas are found close to shore. Although size is one obvious difference between them, other distinguishing characteristics include markings and habitat. The pelagic mantas can grow up to 7 metres across while the reef species maxes out with a 4 – 5 metre wingspan. There are two different species of manta rays, the Mobula birostris (Pelagic) and the Mobula alfredi (Reef). ![]()
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