Manta rays are beautiful and majestic animals that have a life-changing effect on people who meet them. I want to protect them so humans can experience their transformational power for generations to come! My goal is to inspire people so they take action to protect the mantas' ecosystem and oceans all around the world.
A Monumental Win and Protection for Manta Rays
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I am overjoyed to share the news with you: During the CITES conference, 185 countries voted to give sharks and rays the highest possible international trade protections. Per WCS Newsroom: All CITES shark and ray proposals pass – marking the most comprehensive advance in global shark conservation in CITES history. YES. 🤩🤩 FINALLY! 🥳🥳 12 years ago (June 2013), eight species of sharks and both manta ray species were included in CITES Appendix II, but it was not enough protection. Many loopholes existed, and those are now closed through this vote. If you want to feel the joy that many who fought hard for this win shared on social media, then check out this Facebook post by Shawn Heinrichs, this one by Michael Aw, or the one from the Manta Trust on Blue Sky. It will make you smile 😀😊
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Martina Wing
Manta rays are beautiful and majestic animals that have a life-changing effect on people who meet them. I want to protect them so humans can experience their transformational power for generations to come! My goal is to inspire people so they take action to protect the mantas' ecosystem and oceans all around the world.
Aloha Reader, It's been a busy winter season for us - while we haven't been in the water with the mantas much due to high surf and winter conditions, I wrapped up the first season of the Ocean Wings podcast. I thoroughly enjoy the long-form conversation, so I spent the rest of winter break working on another podcast I'll be hosting with my friend Tina Marie. That one has nothing to do with manta rays (or maybe it does 🙃). We recently soft-launched. 2025 statistics Back to the manta rays: we...
Aloha Reader, It's hard to believe, but we've wrapped Season 1 of Ocean Wings. Twelve episodes, twelve incredible guests, and so many moments that reminded me why I wanted to start this podcast in the first place - to share stories that inspire me and will no doubt inspire others. If you've been following along from the start, thank you. If you missed a few episodes along the way, now's the perfect time to catch up before we head into Season 2 (we're hoping to start recording in May). A few...
Aloha Reader, When someone suggested interviewing Manta Ray Advocates team members for my podcast, I didn't know what the conversation should be about: we talk and text almost every day, what else is there to say? Turns out my right hand, Savannah, has a whole lot of stories about what it's like to work here :) In this new episode of the Ocean Wings podcast, we dive into topics like collecting data on the manta rays we encounter, handling customer communication and operations, and briefing...