Unveiling the Movements of Reef Manta Rays: A Journey Across Borders

Living in Zavora, Mozambique, for nearly a decade has been more than just a chapter in my life—it’s been a love story with manta rays. Drawn here by the incredible manta ray research in Mozambique, I quickly fell in love with these graceful giants that call this beautiful country home. A drastic decline in sightings in Mozambique inspired me to start my PhD in 2021, with the goal of uncovering more about the mantas of Zavora, a population I had grown to know so well.

What I didn’t anticipate was how this research would grow beyond borders.

Reef manta ray in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Photo © Ryan Daly

The First Steps Towards Discovery

It all started with an unexpected discovery through photo identification: movements of reef mantas between Mozambique and South Africa. This wasn’t just a minor finding—it marked the first-ever recorded international migration of reef manta rays. Curious to learn more, I teamed up with Dr Ryan Daly, and in 2022, we set out on a manta scoping trip to iSimangaliso Wetland Park in South Africa.

Nakia trying to keep up with reef manta as she prepares to tag. Photo © Ryan Daly

What we found exceeded our expectations. The mantas were thriving in the fully restricted zone of the park, a sanctuary where very few people had ever been. This discovery opened a door to a new research frontier, and in just a few days during our pilot project, we deployed the first-ever acoustic tags on reef mantas in South Africa.

Building on Momentum

After this, I was honoured to receive the Pure Ocean grant, which supported my dream to expand our tagging efforts with satellite telemetry. By 2023, the ATAP and Save Our Seas Foundation transmitter grant further fueled this mission by providing me with more acoustic transmitters. Thanks to these incredible organizations, we have successfully deployed 67 tags (acoustic and satellite combined) on reef mantas across South Africa and Mozambique.

Action shot of Nakia freediving down to tag manta ray. Photo © Ryan Daly

What we’ve uncovered so far has been deeply fascinating. These mantas demonstrate a remarkable affinity for the sanctuary in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, spending the majority of their time within its protected waters while occasionally venturing into Mozambique. While the sanctuary seems to act as their “safe haven,” their movements have profound implications for transboundary management and highlight the importance of collaborative conservation efforts between Mozambique and South Africa.

Looking Ahead

As I analyze the wealth of data we’ve collected, the next year promises to be an exciting time. These analyses will allow us to better understand the movements of reef manta rays throughout southeast Africa and advance our understanding of this vulnerable population.

From Zavora’s reefs to South Africa’s sanctuaries, the journey of studying manta rays has been nothing short of amazing. These magnificent yet vulnerable animals, continue to teach me so much about their lives, and I’m honoured to play a small part in ensuring their future.