Marine Life & Conservation
Reef manta ray recorded for first time in Eastern Pacific
Chance sighting suggests ‘coastal manta’ may venture out further offshore than previously thought
A pregnant reef manta ray was encountered for the first time at the remote Cocos Island in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, challenging our current understanding of this threatened species, which is usually known to roam coastal waters. An international team of marine biologists has published their report this week.
Reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi), which grow up to 5 m, tend to be residential and are often found in shallow habitats where they are cleaned by reef fish or mate. Giant manta rays (Mobula birostris), on the other hand, have been recorded traveling vast distances and diving over 1000 m deep. It still remains a mystery how manta rays navigate the open ocean and what motives their long-distance movements.
The new study was authored by scientists and environmentalists from the Marine Megafauna Foundation, Fins Attached (both US), Pelagios Kakunjá in Mexico, and CREMA in Costa Rica (Centro Rescate Especies Marinas Amenazadas).
The 3.5 m reef manta reported in this study was seen in the waters off Cocos Island (Costa Rica), nearly 6000 km east from the nearest confirmed sighting location in the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia and would represent the longest recorded straight-line distance traveled by any species of manta ray. It is also the first confirmed sighting of reef manta on either side of the American continent.
Randall Arauz of Fins Attached said: “Reef mantas may travel several hundred kilometers, although they tend not to travel too far offshore. It is unclear how this individual could have steered so far off course, leading us to assume it was not intentional.”
“The manta was close to the bottom swimming slowly against the current with its cephalic lobes fully extended, although it was not feeding at the time. When I saw her markings and pigmentation patterns, I knew that this manta was different from the ones we usually encounter in the region”, added Dr Mauricio Hoyos, who filmed the manta during a scientific dive in the national park.
The marine biologists uploaded photographs of the ray’s unique belly spot pattern to Manta Matcher, a global online database which includes contributions from ‘citizen scientists’, and compared them to more than 2800 registers from the Pacific.
Dr Andrea Marshall, co-founder and principal scientist at the Marine Megafauna Foundation said about the discovery: “I have been studying mantas for 16 years and they still constantly surprise me. This extraordinary sighting challenges everything we currently know about the migratory behavior of this species and its ability to undertake long-distance movements across open ocean environments.”
Interestingly, the reef manta was pregnant when observed in September 2018. Manta rays give birth to a single pup every 2-5 years, making them one of the slowest reproducing shark and ray species in the world. To date, no one has ever witnessed a manta ray give birth in the wild.
“If it hasn’t already happened, there is a possibility that this manta will give birth in Cocos Island”, Arauz commented.
The team fitted the manta with an acoustic tag, which can stay on for months, even years, logging the animals’ presence every time it comes past one of the listening stations placed around the island. Initial data revealed she has remained in the area. Listening stations deployed around other Eastern Tropical Pacific Islands, like Malpelo Colombia, or the Galapagos, Ecuador, will alert the researchers if she travels to either of these sites.
Marshall concluded: “It will be interesting to monitor her over the coming months and see how she uses this new, unfamiliar habitat. If she adjusts well to the conditions, it begs the question: why do reef mantas not ordinarily live in this part of the ocean? While unlikely, we also cannot ignore the possibility that small populations of reef mantas may in fact exist in the Eastern Pacific and have just gone undetected.”
“Perhaps most importantly, this research also provides tantalizing clues to how reef mantas may have so prolifically colonized the remote islands and archipelagos of the Indian Ocean and South Pacific.”
The scientific expeditions to Cocos Island were supported by the Whitley Fund for Nature, Conservation International, Sandler Foundation, and Friends of Cocos Island National Park.
The study by Randall Arauz et al., titled ‘First record of the reef manta ray, Mobula alfredi, from the eastern Pacific’ is published in the journal Marine Biodiversity Records on 20 March 2019 and will be available here.
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.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
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
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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