What Are Reef Manta Rays?

It’s known that they are the last living member of a family of sharks known as the Mitsukurinidae, believed to exist before the dinosaurs, therefore deemed a living fossil

Transition: Now that you are prepared it’s time to get into the water and in starting position.

Over the years we have personally seen our share of magical and mystical creatures on dives, but most have been previously documented. We consider these rare sightings perks of the trade. While diving with friends off the coast of Baja, California, we had the unique pleasure of swimming with Whale Sharks. It would take a tow truck of epic proportions to haul this magnificent creature on land. Yet these 40 foot harmless

First of all, ocean exploration technology has advanced much more than before in the past decade. In the past, people had to bring everything needed for scuba diving which included hundreds of pounds of gear and photographing technology. Now, all

Beginning and advanced snorkelers find underwater life inspiring. Three areas provide choice to visitors. First, the clear water of the shallow lagoon offers experience and safety for beginners and the timid. Second, the Inlet with its strong current and rocky line remains popular and challenging. Finally, Monster Hole drops to 30 feet deep 30 to 40 yards off the jetty for experienced snorkelers.

There are many different types of reefs but the most common type of reef is the Fringing Reef. There are also many different types of species that live in this reef. There are tons of different species of fish that live in large groups and come in all different colors. Although, the two main groups of fish that live in this reef are vertebrates and invertebrates. Among the different types of vertebrates living in this reef includes Fish, Sea Snakes, Sea Turtles, Dugongs, and Manatees. These are the only fish that usually swim in large groups. Among the coral reef the invertebrates, which is the most common group of different types of living in this reef, are the constructors and

Not only will you be in a lovely and natural outside setting, you’ll have the support of your dolphin pals, dolphins being the symbol of love and peace.

On ABC’s Good Morning America’s Weekend Adventure special, viewers were taking to new depths of excitement and adventure as tourists went face to face with the beautiful Caribbean Reef Shark off the coast of the Bahamas. The video clip we saw showed tourists from around the world getting up close and personal with these huge, majestic fish. Participates were ecstatic after there trip down under with the fish. One tourist says, “No other dive compares to it”. How have these people been attracted to these adventure dives, and what makes these so appealing? Those are the questions I will explain in the next paragraph.

I am, however, happy to help out every now and then with some undaria monitoring work, if you need me. Just give me a call whenever you are short and need an extra diver.

Blacktip Reef sharks are unique organisms that appear as the way their name describes it. The sharks have black tips on its caudal and dorsal fins, as well as angled saw-like teeth and a round and small snout. Other fins that this fish has is its two pectoral fins, pelvic fin, and an anal fin. These sharks can grow to be six to seven-feet long and have white bellies and dark backs, this allows the shark to disguise itself with the obscured seafloor and the lighter ocean surface.

The manta ray is one of the most intelligent fish in the sea. What makes that mind function so well is a system of blood vessels that envelop the manta’s braincase, keeping the brain warmer than the surrounding tissue. That big, warm brain fosters intelligence, intelligence fosters curiosity, and curiosity causes manta rays to interact with human beings in the water. Mantas look like stealth bombers of the sea, yet they move their remarkable bulk with utter grace, using massive triangular wings (actually pectoral fins) to move through the water with the effortless fluidity of an eagle in flight. Mantas are also prehistoric-looking: they have long protruding fins on either side of their heads to direct food to their oval-shaped mouths. When furled,

then male sharks. The average size is 13 ft and 1000 pounds. That is crazy

Scientists speculate that rays diverged from sharks about 20 million years ago during the Jurassic period (Poortvliet, 2015). The Chilean Devil ray (Mobula tarapacana) is also a close relative to the Mobula ray, with the estimated time of divergence at 18.3 million years ago. The body shape of the devil rays we see today is from an evolutionary change of about five million years ago. The Spinetail Mobula Mobula japanica is the closest relative to the Mobula. These two species are so physically similar that distinguishing between the two can only be done by experts. However, it is spineless, which separates it from the Spinetail Mobula and the Devil Ray. Because Mobula mobular and Mobula japanica are so hard to distinguish from one another, some scientists speculate that the range in which Mobula mobular live and breed could be larger. The blips in the fossil record leave us

Like all animals, mantas have several predators. Sharks, as well as false killer whales and orcas have been known to eat manta rays. Shark bites are seen in all populations of manta rays, but these bites are quite often taken from the edges of the manta’s wings, which heal quickly and do not leave the manta with long lasting wounds. In addition to predators, manta rays also face large threats from humans. Fishing lines can trap manta rays, which leave the mantas

Underwater googles also vary by region, but all ama do carry a kaigane. The kaigane is “a metal scoop or pallet…used to remove the abalone or other shells from the rocks, and serves as a counterweight” during descent (Rahn 29). Like the Koreans, free-diving did not start out as a female-dominated profession. It is significant to note that the male characters for ‘ama,’ (diver in Japanese) have the connotation of sea warrior or more appropriately, samurai of the sea. But the female characters for ‘ama’ simply mean sea-woman, and the term itself is now assumed to refer to females. The difference in meaning is most likely due to the fact that men would use their hands or spears to grab fish, while the women collected shellfish and