![]() The wingspan of a manta can reach 20 or more feet across and they weigh as much as 3,000 pounds. Learn more about manta rays by downloading our free ebook it has everything you always wanted to know about mantas, as well as more information on how to get started as a manta ray advocate.The manta ray is striking in its appearance with its black and white coloration and enormous size. James Ray” and “ Martina Ray” □ Help us Protect the Manta Rays It also reveals the story how two pelagic mantas got their names: “ St. If you want to enjoy more imagery on this topic, then click here and check out our FB lives. The picture below shows the pelagic manta ray with a lot of black around the eye and the inside of the cephalic fin versus the reef mantas which is all white on those areas. You might run into a “Black Ray” here is an awesome example of one filmed by Justin Summers. Pelagic mantas have a darker black-greyish topside with more dark on their underside and on the cephalic fins than reef mantas do. ĭifference #3: Manta Ray Colors and Patterns You are super lucky if you encounter an oceanic manta I’ve been diving and snorkeling around the coasts of Hawaii for over 25 years now and I’ve seen plenty of reef mantas, but only a handful of pelagic ones.īoth types of manta rays live in the tropical and subtropical, although pelagic mantas might also be found in moderate waters. “Pelagic” means that the fish lives neither close to the bottom nor near the shore, although sometimes giant manta rays do also swim inshore. Although they’re seen more often at night around the manta ray viewing sites, where they come to feed. ![]() Along the Kona Coast, the reef is right along the shoreline which makes sightings a frequent event, both at night and during the daytime. However, as they roam the deeper “pelagic” zones of the ocean, we don’t see them as often during our moonlight swim adventures.ĭifference #2: Their Habitat and DistributionĪs its name already gives away, the common habitat for the manta ray is the reef. However, a large manta ray like Big Bertha is still a lot smaller than your average pelagic manta ray the latter’s wingspan can measure up to 22 feet (seven meters). ![]() She measures about fourteen feet (five meters) wingspan which is wider than a basketball loop is high! Big Bertha is one of the biggest grown-up females we see regularly here along the coast of Kona. No surprise there: reef mantas are a little “smaller” than oceanic mantas. Latin name: Mobula Birostris.ĭifference #1: The Giant Manta is Bigger than the Reef Manta Pelagic manta = giant manta ray = oceanic manta ray they usually roam the “pelagic” zones of the ocean. Reef manta = the type of manta ray who stays closer to the reef. And even though both types are huge, only one of them is called “giant manta ray” □ There is much confusion about the types of manta rays out there, even though there are only two.
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