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Manta magnificence

Manta rays are some of the most fascinating – and beautiful – animals in our oceans. The Manta Trust, which shared these photos with us, aims to see manta rays thriving in healthy, diverse marine ecosystems.

Reaching widths of more than 7 metres, manta rays are the world’s largest rays, and they are arguably the most intelligent fish Yet we still know relatively little about them It wasn’t until 2009 that scientists discovered there were in fact two species of manta rays: the reef manta ray and the giant oceanic manta. © Photo by Guy Stevens | Manta Trust

Despite their enormous size and giant mouths, manta rays are gentle giants that feed only on the ocean’s smallest inhabitants – tiny zooplankton! With their mouths wide open, they swim through patches of zooplankton and use specially modified gills, called gill pates, to filter these microscopic animals from the water column. © Photo by Guy Stevens | Manta Trust

Mantas use a variety of clever behaviours to catch zooplankton as efficiently as possible They are known to perform hypnotic barrel rolls on the spot to gulp up small but concentrated patches of food Mantas also show cooperative feeding behaviours, the most spectacular being a manta mass-feeding-cyclone – where over 100 rays swim in a unified spiral The force of so many giant rays beating their fins is known to draw zooplankton-filled water into the cyclone. © Photo by Guy Stevens | Manta Trust

When a female is mature enough to reproduce, she will signal her willingness to nearby males before leading an entourage of would-be suiters on a race around the reef Males in the ‘mating train’ jostle for prime position directly behind the female, before the couple then rise into the water column to mate. © Photo by Stephen Pollett

Unlike your typical reef fish that produces millions of eggs, sharks and rays tend to invest more of their energy into producing fewer, but better developed offspring Mantas are arguably the most conservative of all the rays Manta rays give birth to only one pup at a time, following a nine-month gestation period, and females may not breed again for two to five years! This makes their populations vulnerable to exploitation. © Photo by Guy Stevens | Manta Trust

While their size and speed mean mantas have very few natural predators, they face a significant threat from humans Every year, hundreds of mantas and mobula rays (the smaller cousins of manta rays) are killed around the world Many are victims of by-catch, getting caught in fishing gear used to catch other species But mantas are also specifically targeted. © Photo by Guy Stevens | Manta Trust

Manta and mobula rays are hunted due to a growing demand for their gill plates These filamentous appendages are used as the main ingredient in a traditional Chinese medicinal tonic believed to cure a list of ailments from cancer to a lack of libido As mantas breed so slowly and infrequently, their populations cannot sustain any fishing pressure Targeting mantas for their gill plates has lead to enormous and rapid declines in some populations. © Photo by Guy Stevens | Manta Trust

Fortunately mantas have a ‘ray of hope’ in the ecotourism industry Thousands of divers and snorkelers are willing to pay large sums of money for the chance to swim alongside these majestic animals, meaning that mantas are worth far more alive than dead A recent study estimated that the global value of the manta ray-watching industry totals US$140-million per year!. © Photo by Guy Stevens | Manta Trust

The Manta Trust was set up to co-ordinate global efforts to conserve manta rays and their habitats using a combination of research, raising awareness and providing education to governments and local stakeholders. © Photo by Guy Stevens | Manta Trust

A growing list of countries are beginning to understand the true economic value of manta rays through ecotourism, and the benefits it can bring for impoverished communities Many of the nations that fished mantas heavily, including Indonesia, have now turned their stance towards protecting these animals in their waters Manta Trust scientists are using a variety of research techniques to uncover more about the lives of these mysterious rays With a better understanding of where they go and why, we can provide sound knowledge that governments and communities can use to make more informed conservation management decisions. © Photo by Guy Stevens | Manta Trust