September 17th is world manta day
Today is World Manta Day, which celebrates both the manta and devil rays and raises awareness about their conservation status. This year’s theme is Education, and this is exactly what you’ll get if you visit the World Manta Day website – a lesson on mantas.
Did you know that although they are huge in size, mantas feed on zooplankton, which are microscopic animals? The website also states that “Manta rays are close relatives of all sharks and rays, meaning they have a skeleton made of cartilage rather than bone”.
Another fun fact is that female mantas give birth to a single pup after 12.5 months of gestation, so this is one of the reasons why we need to do our best to conserve these animals.
If you’re interested in learning more about these gentle marine creatures, one of the best places to see them live in “action” is in the Maldives.
