It is also likely to visit coastal sites temporarily. Sometimes it has been seen on the sandy bottom and sea grass areas, but this is not as common. It has been seen around groups of islands, along coastlines, in shallow reefs and seamounts. This species prefers to be found offshore at depths of up to 120 meters but close to the ocean surface. In some areas its habitat overlaps with the reef manta ray. The giant manta ray lives in tropical, subtropical and temperate waters of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans, often in the area between 31 degrees north and 36 degrees south latitude. The pattern of spots is unique to each individual, and this is really helpful to identify each. The mouth is colored in a dark color, unlike the reef manta ray that has a white mouth. The edges of the pectoral fins are also usually shaded black. The upper body is black, dark brown or blue-gray while the lower region is white with presence of dark spots. The skin of Manta birostris is rough and covered with protective mucus. 1,350 kilograms is the weight that a giant manta ray can have, although other estimates suggest up to 2 tons.Ĭoloration. The width of the central disc measures up to 9 meters, but individuals have been reported having a measure of 9.1 meters. Its tail is thin and whip-like, lacking stingers. Inside the mouth there are teeth embedded only in the lower jaw. Its eyes are on the sides of a slightly concave head. Although it may be imperceptible at a quick glance, it has a small dorsal fin. Opposite to the mouth two structures project out called cephalic lobes that are useful when feeding. The giant manta ray has a diamond-shaped body, with a wide central “disc” and triangular pectoral fins that when moving in the sea seem to be wings beating. The manta ray must rely on other learned techniques in order to survive in the ocean.Its name refers to the most striking feature: it is the biggest ray species of them all and the largest manta ray, surpassing Manta alfredi or reef manta ray. They cannot even swallow small fish, and in some instances where a fish mistakenly gets taken into a manta’s mouth, the manta will immediately spit the fish back out.Īlthough manta rays have a wide gaping mouth, this cannot be used to defend against predators. The mouth of a manta ray may look intimidating from the sheer size, however, mantas do not have the ability to swallow anything other than plankton. Mantas can’t even use their mouth to suck in their food: they gather plankton by perpetually swimming forward. Mantas have a long tooth band on the underside along their lower jaw. Mantas do have teeth – however, these can’t bite you. It is an extremely rare sight in over 20 years of scuba diving along the Kona Coast, I am still waiting to see one.ĭo Manta Rays have Stingers, Teeth, or other Scary Attributes?Ĭontrary to stingrays, manta rays don’t have stingers. In Hawaii, we only have the Hawaiian stingray which lives at depth over 50+ feet. It is worth noting however, the stingray will only use this if they feel threatened, so always watch out for these guys. The stinger is strong enough to pierce through the skin of an attacker and releases a complex venom that can cause intense pain at the puncture site. It is certainly a worry if you would step onto a stingray, as they use their deadly stinger as a defense mechanism. They are able to breathe and push water over the gills. Stingrays have the ability to bury under sand and perfectly camouflage themselves. Steve was a great Australian conservationist and died way too young. The poisonous dagger-like stinger killed him, and his death was most likely almost instantaneous. Steve Irwin died in 2006 after he accidentally got stung directly into the heart by a short-tail stingray. The answer to that question is: “No, it wasn’t a manta ray.” This is one of the most frequently asked questions we get asked before we take people out to swim with mantas. “Wasn’t it a Manta Ray that Killed Steve Irwin?” If you would prefer to look & listen, click play to watch the video. Note: I have also recorded a video about this topic. Let’s dive into this a little deeper and answer all your questions – like do mantas have teeth, stingers, or barbs? How dangerous are they really? Are Manta rays dangerous? Noticeably, the mantas possess wide cavernous mouths and a large wingspan of up to 12-14 feet ( reef mantas) / 22 feet ( pelagic mantas). There are many misconceptions when it comes to these marine animals, mainly due to the sheer size and shape of their body. At Manta Ray Advocates, we refer to mantas as the ‘gentle giants of the sea’.
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