10 Things You May Not Know About Manta Rays in Hawaiʻi

An estimated 80,000 people snorkel and dive with them each year, and OUTRIGGER Kona Resort & Spa offers nightly tours to see manta rays for its guests and boasts a manta center that serves as a resource for guests to learn more about these majestic creatures.

Today is World Manta Day, a day to celebrate these majestic marine creatures and raise awareness of the threats they’re facing.

Swimming with manta rays on Hawaiʻi Island—specifically off the Kona Coast—is on a lot of travelers’ bucket list. It’s one of the most unique experiences you can have in the Islands—floating in the warm waters at night, watching these gentle giants feed on plankton that are attracted by lights. An estimated 80,000 people snorkel and dive with them each year. Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa offers nightly tours to see manta rays for its guests and boasts a manta center that serves as a resource for guests to learn more about these majestic creatures.

Here are some interesting facts about Hawaiʻi’s manta rays.

1. Only two species of manta rays live in Hawaiʻi.

Worldwide, there are three species of manta rays, and two of them—the reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi) and the giant manta ray (Mobula birostris)—live off the Kona Coast. The coastal mantas are the ones most often seen.

2. Manta rays are mentioned in the kumulipo, the Hawaiian creation chant.

According to the nonprofit Kai Palaoa, manta rays are mentioned in second wa (section) of the kumulipo. Also, the name of the manta—hāhālua—means “two breaths or mouths.”

Read More: The Cultural Significance of the Manta Ray in Hawaiʻi

3. Giant manta rays are the world’s largest rays.

The giant manta ray is the largest ray and one of the largest fishes in the world, with wingspans reaching 26 feet. Females are the largest.

4. Giant manta rays have the largest brain of all fish species.

A manta ray brain is about the size of a fist, and it has the biggest brain-to-body ratio of all fish. They are particularly curious and social animals, and there is evidence that they are capable of recognizing themselves in the mirror.

5. Manta rays live long but have few pups.

Manta rays have been reported to live at least 45 years—there’s an adult manta ray named Lefty who has been spotted in Hawaiʻi for about that long—but not much is known about their growth and development. They typically give birth to only one pup every two to three years, and gestation is thought to last around a year.

6. Ecuador is home to the largest population of giant manta rays in the world.

The population of giant manta rays in Ecuador is estimated at over 22,000, with large aggregation sites within the waters of the Machalilla National Park and the Galapagos Marine Reserve. It’s estimated Hawaiʻi is home to about 130 manta rays that remain in these waters, despite their migratory nature. The global population size is unknown.

7. They are not endangered—yet.

The giant manta ray is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. In addition, all manta rays are listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The main threat to the giant manta ray is commercial fishing, with the species both targeted and caught as bycatch in a number of global fisheries throughout its range.

8. Manta rays weight A LOT.

These large fish can weight up to 3,000 pounds. An adult manta ray can eat up to 60 pounds of plankton each day, which is roughly 12% of its body weight. This is equivalent to millions of microscopic plankton.

9. Manta rays have “fingerprints.”

Manta rays come in two distinct color types: chevron (mostly black back and white belly) and black (almost completely black on both sides). They also have distinct spot patterns on their bellies that are used to identify them—like human fingerprints.

10. They’re closest relatives are sharks.

Manta rays belong to the cartilaginous fishes. Meaning they don’t have bones. But they do have teeth—about 300 rows of tiny, peg-like teeth, each about the size of the head of a pin. This band of teeth run along the underside of their lower jaw that look like sandpaper. They use these teeth to filter plankton out of the water as they swim forward.

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Click, HERE, to read this article in Hawai’i Magazine