manualvef.blogg.se - Giant oceanic manta ray age

#GIANT OCEANIC MANTA RAY AGE HOW TO#

Video: Rare Sighting of a Pelagic Manta RayĪ manta ray advocate, Captain Justin Summers, found this pelagic manta ray 3 miles offshore during his day charter. This means you need to capture the ID markings on the underbelly – quite a challenge, as sightings are rare, and not everyone has their underwater camera ready to go when swimming with manta rays. To be sure you’re looking at a specific manta ray, you’d need to compare the identifying spot pattern on the ventral side against the manta ray database(s). Reef mantas rays are known to stay within a certain radius to the shore however, less is known of the pelagic mantas’ habitat and migration. In general, mantas are mysterious creatures, and not much is known about their movements as they are always swimming.

In comparison, reef mantas along the Kona Coast get sighted regularly for many years in a row – as reef manta rays are territorial to the area.

#GIANT OCEANIC MANTA RAY AGE HOW TO#

How to Know you’re Looking at an Oceanic Manta Rayīecause of the migratory behavior of pelagic (oceanic) manta rays in the open ocean, it’s uncommon to see one individual more than once. Read more about the difference between reef mantas and pelagic mantas here. The oceanic manta also has a cluster of spots, but they are located slightly lower on the body. This unique marking is an identification symbol used when registering the manta with an official name. Notice the spot pattern on the reef manta in the picture. The manta rays we regularly encounter on the West Coast of Hawaii are the reef mantas, and we estimate their home range to be 90 square miles: 30 miles up and down the coast and 3 miles offshore.Ī straightforward distinction between pelagic and reef mantas rays is the zone around the eyes and cephalic fins – reef mantas are white around the eyes. There are two manta rays species: the pelagic manta (or mobula birostris) and the reef manta (or mobula alfredi). The Difference Between Reef Mantas and Oceanic Manta Rays

and the type nicknamed “black ray” – which is almost entirely black on both sides.

the black and white manta ray variety called “chevron” – where their back is mostly black, and their belly predominantly white.

There are two distinct color types in oceanic manta rays: They may swim inshore at times (very occasionally), which is when they are usually sighted – each sighting being an unexpected delight. In other words, their regular habitat is the vast open ocean. The word “pelagic” means that the manta lives in the ocean’s pelagic zone, neither close to the bottom nor near the shore. Oceanic (aka giant or pelagic) mantas grow to over 22 feet (over 7 meters), which gets them the fitting nickname of “giant manta ray”. Giant mantas are also known as oceanic manta rays, pelagic manta rays – or by their Latin name, mobula birostris. Giant oceanic manta rays are pretty rare any diver or snorkelers who gets to witness one is a lucky person.