Diving and snorkelling in the Maldives is always an awe-inspiring experience but when you encounter a manta it becomes magical. World Manta Day celebrates these incredible creatures and creates an awareness of the threat they face, in the hope that we can come together to reduce the threats and help mantas thrive.
The theme for World Manta Day 2024 is ‘The Power of Storytelling’ and we all love to tell stories about the encounters we’ve had. As with most marine encounters, the best way to tell your manta story is with pictures – words can never convey the wonder one feels after coming face to face with these ocean giants.
Share your stories on social and tag #komandoomaldives and #WorldMantaDay – lets celebrate mantas together!
Manta facts
– Even though mantas are huge, they feed on tiny microscopic animals called zooplankton.
– Manta rays are close relatives of all sharks and rays, meaning they have a skeleton made of cartilage rather than bone.
– Mantas can be identified by their pattern of unique spots on their bellies, just as we are identified by our fingerprints!
– Mantas can reach seven metres from wingtip to wingtip and weigh up to two tonnes!
– Mantas give birth to a single pup after 12.5 months gestation.
– Compare to other fish, mantas have one of the largest brains – possibly contributing to their heightened curiosity and complex social interactions.
– Mantas are completely harmless and are therefore popular with divers and snorkellers.
Threats faced by mantas
Sadly, manta populations around the world are under threat and their numbers are falling in many regions. In some regions of the world their gill plates are consumed as a psuedo-remedy and this is the main driving force behind their capture. Mantas can get entangled in fishing nets and die as bycatch – even when released alive, their survival rates are low. Unsustainable and unregulated tourism can drive mantas away from important cleaning and feeding sites through overcrowding and poor in-water behaviour. Here at Kuredu, we follow the guidelines from Manta Trust and ensure our encounters are respectful and sustainable. Climate breakdown threatens to change the distribution and abundance of zooplankton which mantas feed on. Coral bleaching may also cause habitat destruction around cleaning stations.
Find those photos, reminisce about your encounters and let’s flood social with mantas!
