World Manta Day

Mantas are one of the reasons so many divers and snorkelers come to the Maldives and here at Jawakara Islands Maldives, we are very excited to see what this manta season will bring – there is excitement building in the dive centre with Prodivers!

As we approach manta season, World Manta Day provides a great opportunity to celebrate these magnificent creatures and raise awareness of the threats these ocean giants face. The theme for World Manta Day 2024 is ‘The Power of Storytelling’ and we know that every encounter with a huge manta provides a thrilling tale which you’d be happy to tell time and time again, creating a wave of awareness. A picture is worth a thousand words so share on social media your photos of encounters with mantas you’ve enjoyed whilst here at Jawakara, tag #JawakaraIslandsMaldives and #WorldMantaDay – let’s celebrate mantas together!

Manta facts

Manta rays are close relatives of all sharks and rays, meaning they have a skeleton made of cartilage rather than bone. Every manta ray has a unique spot pattern on its belly that can be used to identify it, just as we are identified by our fingerprints! Some individuals reach seven metres from wingtip to wingtip and weigh up to two tonnes! Despite their huge size, mantas feed on microscopic animals called zooplankton and are harmless to humans. Mantas have one of the largest brains in the fish world and they give birth to a single pup after 12.5 months gestation.

Threats faced by mantas

Manta populations around the world are under threat and their numbers are falling. Their gill plates are consumed as a ‘remedy’ in some regions of the world and this is the main driving force behind their capture. Mantas die when caught in fishing nets as by-catch and very few survive after being released alive. Unsustainable and unregulated tourism can drive mantas away from important cleaning and feeding sites through overcrowding and poor in-water behaviour. Here at Jawakara, 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 due to rising ocean temperatures may also cause habitat destruction around cleaning stations.

Dig out those photos, relive your memories and let’s get mantas trending on social media!