Black Diamond Ray'S MARKINGS
Black Diamond has a much darker dorsal side than the other mantas we know plus 6x "diamond" shaped spots in his ID marking.
Black Diamond Ray's Injuries/scarring
Black Diamond experienced several minor injuries over the years. ** On July 8th, 2023, he showed up at Kauna'oa Bay with a hook in his left cephalic fin and at least 30 feet of fishing line trailing behind him. Martina managed to cut off a good part, but not all; removing the hook completely could have caused more harm or longer-lasting injuries. Over the following years, he showed up with a little less line each time and eventually, algae even started to grow on the hook. On May 4th, 2025, the hook fell of as he was feeding at the manta viewing site - and while we were guiding a group of snorkelers to meet the mantas! When we looked at our video footage from that night, one clip showed that the hook was still attached - and by the next time he passed us, it was gone. A closer look at the footage shows the clips were taken ONE MINUTE apart. ** Black Diamond also sustained injuries in March 2025, when he showed up with long cuts down his ventral and dorsal sides, and a chunk of his right wing missing. ** Check out the image slider below!
