{"id":37431,"date":"2024-04-16T09:52:40","date_gmt":"2024-04-16T07:52:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/09f9291d-ca91-49db-a336-de4c4c265761"},"modified":"2024-04-16T10:35:46","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T08:35:46","slug":"1000-oceanic-manta-rays-seen-in-the-maldives","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/1000-oceanic-manta-rays-seen-in-the-maldives\/","title":{"rendered":"1,000\u00a0oceanic manta rays seen in the Maldives\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Landmark moment as 1,000th individual oceanic manta ray is recorded in Maldivian waters. The Indian Ocean archipelago has the third largest population in the world, after Ecuador and Mexico. <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 16 April 2024 at 07:52 AM<\/p>

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1,000 individual oceanic manta rays have now been identified in Maldivian waters. According to the Maldives Manta Conservation Programme<\/a> (MMCP)\u00a0\u2013\u00a0the\u00a0Manta Trust<\/a>\u2019s flagship project, which confirmed the 1,000th individual \u2013 this makes the Maldives home to the world\u2019s third largest population of the species. <\/p>

The manta has been named \u2018Anbu\u2019 which means mango in Dhivehi, the language of the Maldives.<\/p>

An oceanic manta ray at Fuvahmulah Atoll in the Maldives. Credit: Simon Hilbourne<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Oceanic mantas<\/a> (Mobula birostris<\/em>) are the world\u2019s largest species of ray. Their wingspan can reach up to 8.8 metres \u2013 around the same size as an iconic London\u00a0Routemaster\u00a0bus \u2013 hence why they\u2019re also known as giant mantas.<\/p>

The oceanic manta ray is also known as the giant manta ray (Mobula birostris). Credit: Simon Hilbourne<\/figcaption><\/figure>

These gentle giants, which feed on plankton, can be identified by the markings on their underside. <\/p>

\u201cManta rays can be identified by the unique spot pattern on their belly, much like a human fingerprint,\u201d explains Fauz Fath-hee,\u00a0RahVeshi Programme Coordinator<\/a>\u00a0at MMCP. <\/p>

\u201cWe dive down below the manta ray, either by scuba diving or freediving, to take a photo of the spots on the manta rays\u2019 bellies and we log each sighting in our ever-growing database.\u201d<\/p>

A research boat records oceanic manta rays at Fuvahmulah. Credit: Simon Hilbourne<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The charity has been studying mantas in the Maldives since 2005 but has ID photos going as far back as 1996. <\/p>

Citizen scientists and local scuba diving centres have also contributed photos in support of this important research. <\/p>

Although the Maldives is made up of 1,200 islands, nearly all sightings (85%) were from Fuvahmulah Atoll, a pelagic island in the south of the country known for its tiger shark dives.\u00a0<\/p>

\"Oceanic
The wingspan of oceanic mantas can reach up to 8.8 metres. Credit: Simon Hilbourne<\/figcaption><\/figure>

With 1,000 individuals in its waters, the Maldives is home to the world\u2019s third largest population of giant mantas (it also has the most reef mantas (Mobula alfredi<\/em>) in the world, with over\u00a05,000<\/a>\u00a0individuals). <\/p>

Ecuador has the largest oceanic manta population, \u201cwith 2,803 confirmed individuals but an estimated 22,316 individuals based on\u00a0Proyecto Mantas Ecuador<\/a>\u2019s data,\u201d says Fath-hee. <\/p>

The\u00a0Pacific Manta Research Group<\/a>\u00a0has identified nearly 1,400 individuals in the Revillagigedo Archipelago in Mexico\u2019s Eastern Pacific waters \u201cso, the Maldives population is very close to becoming the second largest,\u201d he adds, with the Indonesian archipelago of\u00a0Raja Ampat in fourth with 588 individuals.\u00a0<\/p>

\"Oceanic
The Maldives is home to the third largest population of oceanic manta rays in the world. Simon Hilbourne<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The researchers don\u2019t yet fully understand why there are so many manta rays in the Maldives. <\/p>

\u201cUnlike other oceanic manta ray aggregation sites, there is limiting feeding, cleaning or courtship behaviour observed,\u201d says Fath-hee who believes the rays may be transiting through because they are usually seen for only a day or two and re-sighting rates are low.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWhere they are coming from and where they are going is still a mystery.\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p>

85% of the sightings were from Fuvahmulah Atoll. Credit: Simon Hilbourne<\/figcaption><\/figure>

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, oceanic mantas are\u00a0endangered<\/a>\u00a0so confirming there are at least 1,000\u00a0<\/sup>individuals gives conservationists hope. <\/p>

However, they are concerned the animals might be swimming on to Sri Lanka, where they could be under threat. <\/p>

\u201cOceanic manta rays are known to swim great distances, with some individuals traveling thousands of kilometres in search of food, mating opportunities, and suitable habitats,\u201d says Fath-hee<\/p>

\"Drone
A researcher launches a drone. Credit: Jasmine Corbett<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Sri Lanka, which is just 1,000km away, has the world\u2019s largest oceanic manta ray fishery and is believed to catch around 1,000 individuals each year. \u201cThere\u2019s a high possibility that these rays could be moving between the protected waters of the Maldives and Sri Lanka\u2019s waters where they face a high risk of being fished,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p>

Life in slow motion: An oceanic manta ray drifting through the sea. Credit: Simon Hilbourne<\/figcaption><\/figure>