Facts from wiki

So here are some facts about Manta rays. They are pelagic which means they can cross open oceans and they do so singly or in groups. They are filter feeders and enjoy huge amounts of zooplankton which they do by opening their mouths wide and swimming. They have cephalic lobes on either side of their heads to funnel the plankton into their mouths, they can roll these lobes open and closed. And they eat an impressive 13% of their body weight in zooplankton each week. They can reach up to 7m ( 23 ft ) from tip to tip of their triangular pectoral fins and they are made of mostly cartilage. Their mating is triggered by the full moon, gestation lasts a year and they give birth to live pups.

Here in the Marqueasas tattoo is incredibly important both on a daily basis in the community and as a history of their ancestors. We met a tattoo artist here who was based in Toulouse, France for many years. He has returned home and we have had the pleasure of watching him at work. Each individual part of the design has a unique meaning. Manta rays feature in Marquesan tattoo culture and they are meant to portray a protector of man and wisdom. And don’t forget the grandma in Moana who very relevant in this community especially given our present location had a manta ray tattoo on her back and her spirit became one when she left this world.

Up close and personal

The other day we spotted a whole family/flock/armada of manta rays who came to lunch in the bay. They flash their wing tips on the surface and their white bellies are easy to spot. They have counter shading which means they are dark on the top and white underneath so they are camouflaged from the top and the bottom.  We enjoyed their company and swam with them for over an hour. At first I was out there on my own with a few of them and I was awe struck. There is little visibility and they are very close by the time I could spot one. I have to say the sheer size of these graceful giants is incredible! And a little daunting. They were swimming in big spirals, backwards and sometime would bail out at the last minute as they caught sight of a human swimming through the middle of their lunch. Later we were three families of humans out there swimming with about 30 of them.  And they were so tranquil. The kids were so brave because they were swimming with creatures much bigger than they are themselves and there were a few dreams about being swallowed. They did their best to avoid us but also didn’t seem too upset to share space. As we were getting to know each other we got to touch them and some are smooth and others a little bumpy to the touch. They are wonderful animals and we feel so fortunate to have spent some time with them.