Fancy a bit of underwater ballet performed by nature’s most exquisite dancers? Watch this brilliant underwater performance of Manta rays as they majestically pirouette and glide along the azure waters of the Maldivian sea. Most luxury hotels and resorts in Maldives offer a once in a lifetime experience of swimming with manta rays, as they are quite often seen frequenting the areas around the properties.
There are two species of manta rays; the reef manta and the giant manta ray. Some properties such as PER AQUUM Hotels & Resorts have dedicated marine biologists that assist tourists in learning more about these beautiful eagles of the sea, whilst imparting knowledge on the importance of their protection and conservation. For those who are keen, visit Maldives between the months of January to April for a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch this dance of the wild.
Manta Rays are known to be closely related to the family of sharks and other rays, therefore they must keep moving at all times in order to allow the continuous flow of water over their gills. Manta Rays can vary in width, while the central disc of a giant manta ray has been noted to grow to a width of 9 meters. Manta rays are usually found in tropical and temperate waters and are thus quite commonly found around the waters of Maldives. Despite being large sea creatures, they are known to feed on the smallest sea creatures known as zooplankton.
The importance of raising awareness in the protection of these graceful marine mammals is crucial to the ecosystem. There are many threats which face manta rays all over the world, which range from overfishing, hunting for sports purposes, being caught in fishing nets and other debris and the horrendous effects that climate change has on water temperatures and food availability. As per conservation status, both species of manta rays have fallen into the ‘Vulnerable’ list.
Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers.