2021 was a year of ups and downs – but for the manta rays, not much changed.
- Manta rays are still an endangered species.
- We keep learning more about them, but we’re still discovering new things about these mysterious creatures every year.
- Here at Manta Ray Advocates, we still went out for moonlight swims with the mantas almost every night, whether to introduce new people to the magic of mantas – or to welcome back old acquaintances.
Here are the 7 stories that made an impression on us throughout 2021.
1. LouLou Ray proved that reef mantas swim further than we thought they did
Each manta ray is an individual with its own unique markings, habits, and personality. We list them all in our manta ray library – so if you’ve gone swimming with manta rays along the Kona Coast and would like to read more about the manta rays you encountered, go and have a look there!
One of our favorite mantras is LouLou Ray. Local divemaster David Marchand identified her in 2016.
Since then, she has regularly appeared at Manta Point in Kauna’oa Bay, one of the three viewing sites along the Kona Coast. In January, we learned that she swam 55 miles!
That was surprising, as we always assumed a reef manta’s home range is about 30 miles up and down the coast. However, during a night dive, she was spotted in Honaunau (on November 2nd), 55 miles from Kauna’oa Bay, where she was spotted again 16 days later.
Read more about the adventures of LouLou Ray on this page!
2. Jolene Ray got injured by a fishing hook
When we go for a manta ray swim in Kauna’oa Bay, Jolene Ray is one of the mantas we encounter most often. She comes in to feed on most nights.
Back in October, she missed a couple of night feedings… and when she returned, we realized she had a huge fish hook embedded into her body, just to the right of her pelvic fin. A fishing line was attached to it and trailed behind her. Watch the video below to see what we saw…
Thankfully, a fellow manta ray advocate freed her from the hook and line shortly afterward.
Her wound healed astonishingly well, just like last time…
In 2020, Jolene already survived a tiger shark attack. The shark literally took a chunk out of her lower right side. It took her 6 months to heal fully, and she actually regenerated the flesh and skin that the shark had removed. It was amazing to watch both recoveries!
Jolene is a very special ray to us, and we hope to bump into her in the years to come!
3. We had an 83-year-old join us to snorkel with manta rays
I was incredibly proud when my mom, Gita, joined us on a moonlight swim with the mantas two years ago. She was one of the oldest participants we’d taken snorkeling so far…
Since this October, 83-year-old Victoria has shared this record. There really is no upper age limit on swimming with mantas…
Fun times we had with 83-year-old Victoria
4. Playing with the mantas’ food (plankton)
Mantas eat a mind-boggling amount of plankton every single day.
- One manta eats about 12% of its body weight in plankton each week
- Which means on average one 10-foot manta weighing 1,000lbs, would eat about 120 lbs (50 kg) of plankton per week
- 10,000 pieces of plankton weigh 1 dry ounce…
- Which means an adult manta ray eats over 19 million pieces of plankton every week
More fun facts about mantas and their favorite food in this article.
While plankton is tiny, you can also see the bigger pieces reflected in the lights – the video below was taken on one of our nighttime manta swims.
5. Reef shark, mantas, and humans all getting along…
Sharks may have a bad name, and while in Hawaiian waters tiger sharks are the main predators of our beloved manta rays – other types of sharks are mostly benign and coexist peacefully with the mantas.
The proof is this video that we took on one of our nighttime snorkeling expeditions. It shows humans, mantas, and a reef shark all getting along perfectly!
6. Taking 3 generations on a moonlight manta swim
After 20+ years of educating folks from around the globe about manta rays, we still do our very best every day to make a difference for the ocean – and for the animals that we love so dearly.
Although I know it’s possible to change someone’s perspective, I sometimes wonder if we’re really creating a “lasting effect to act better because we know better”. Then sometimes, we get a sign that what we’re doing is worthwhile… and this story is a great example.
Meet Kristi and Tom who first joined us on a manta swim in 2017. After their first encounter, they were so taken by the effect the manta rays had on them, that they immediately started planning a family trip with a whole bunch of children and grandchildren. They wanted all of them to experience the gentle giants and to step into their world – one filled with peace, wonder & awe at what lies beneath.
COVID-19 delayed their plans in 2020, but in April 2021 everyone got to experience the magic of manta rays. We had perfect conditions with a flat ocean and crystal clear visibility. It was EPIC ???? ???? ???? ❤️????
Three generations of passionate (and at times crazy) Manta Ray Advocates
Three generations were introduced to the manta rays and it made me realize our work does make a difference. Not only did the family join us and create lasting memories, they were also perfectly prepared by Papa & Nana with cool manta ray t-shirts and cloth masks featuring manta rays!
7. Marine debris cleanup in Kuaihelani
If you’ve read our recent article on how ocean plastic pollution affects manta rays in multiple ways, you know that we’re passionate about getting the ocean cleaned up. We are fervent supporters of initiatives like The Ocean Cleanup and #TeamSeas.
The Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project (PMDP) is a non-profit organization created to protect the sensitive wildlife and critical habitats of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands).
Back in April, they managed to make a huge dent in the ocean debris amassing around Hawaii… they removed over 24,000 lbs (almost 10,900 kilos) of debris from the northwestern shore of Eastern Island, spanning a measly 1.32 kilometers and packed full of Hawaiian Monk Seal mothers and pups. All in one days’ work lugging boatloads of debris.
They reported most of that debris was actually old fishing nets – they even got to set free an ‘Iwa bird entangled in a net.
If you’re like us and would like to take action, here are 7 charities we love and support – and you can help them make a difference as well.
0 Comments