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Marine Life & Conservation

Mantas of Palau

Published

11 years ago

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Very little is still known about Manta Rays and their behavior, which is why the work of the Manta ID Project in Palau is so important. Leticia Sanchis from NECO Marine Dive Center tells us more…

The Manta Rays are one of the most captivating creatures in the underwater world. You can mainly find them where the water is warm all over the planet.  Micronesia is one of the best places to observe them – mainly the archipelago of Palau, where over 200 mantas have already been photographed and identified.  A few Manta rays are seen around German channel the whole year, but from October to May each year, more come in to mate and form feeding trains around the full and new moons, which can be a spectacular site for snorkelers and divers. When the current dies down, the mantas start making backward loops to scoop up the plankton, and this looks like an underwater ballet. Even when they are not feeding, manta rays can be seen at the cleaning stations, where they are cleaned by small wrasse fish species. If divers kneel down on the sand and give the mantas space, they will stay around and circle the cleaning rock, sometimes for hours. Every year there are newborn manta rays observed around the channel mouth, and some of the largest female manta rays come back every season and have been photographed here for over 20 years. From being in the water with them every day, local dive guides have learned that each manta not only has individual markings which are like fingerprints, but also individual characters and behavior.

Very little is known about them, which is why photos and observations are important for research. In Palau, the Manta ID Palau Project, www.mantaidpalau.org, with NECO Marine dive center as one of the main sponsors, builds a database to collect information on Palau’s individual mantas and share what is learned from observing and photographing them in Palau for the last 25 years. Over 200 mantas have been photographed and identified, 16 of which are Black Mantas. As soon as baby Manta rays are born, they have to look after themselves, find their own food and hide from sharks that try to eat them. They stay around reef channels until they are large enough to go out into the open ocean.

The website shares all the Palau information for all the operators and tourists and encourages divers to share their pictures on the website too.

If you would like to learn how to identify the mantas and to position yourself under water so not to scare them away and disturb their feeding and cleaning behavior, NECO Marine dive center has a PADI dive specialty course: “Manta Identification Diver Palau”, a two day course where you can find out more about Palau’s manta rays and how to observe them best. To find out more about the course, visit www.necomarine.com

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Marine Life & Conservation

Shark Trust launches Oceanic 31 Shark Art Auction

Published

3 weeks ago

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November 1, 2024

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After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.

People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:

https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction

It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.

The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.

One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.

Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:

https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24

Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.

Find out more here:

https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31

 Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”

Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction

Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden

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Marine Life & Conservation

Meet Steve Backshall in the Bite-Back Prize Draw

Published

1 month ago

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October 21, 2024

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steve backshall

Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.

Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.

On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.

Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.

Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.

Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”

The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.

To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.

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