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.
Are manta rays mammals? No... but it's not what you think...
Aloha Reader,
Q: Are manta rays mammals?
A: No, they're not - they are most definitely fish.
Q: Ah, so they lay eggs?
A: Yes... but it's not what you think...
This is one of the most frequently asked questions at our Manta Ray Moonlight Swim - and one I love to answer as it opens up a fun conversation about this magnificent fish.
And then, there is this one word I usually avoid when talking about the mantas' reproduction, even though it’s an important part of what they are: “ovoviviparous”. You try and say that aloud five times in a row. 😁
Unlike many other species that lay eggs outside their bodies and fertilize them externally with sperm from another fish, ovoviviparous fish produce eggs within their bodies that hatch while still inside the mother.
This means that when it comes time for birth, the babies are fully developed and ready to be released into the ocean!
And we're not talking about cute and tiny caviar eggs here - once born, a manta ray pup can measure up to 50 inches (130 cm) tip-to-tip and weigh over 20 pounds (9kg)! Plus, it is wrapped like a burrito.
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Aloha, Martina |
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, Today, I'd like to take a sidestep from writing about saving manta rays and ocean conservation... and ask you to join in a personal celebration. 1998- 25 years ago was the best and the worst year of my life. I had just lost my husband at a young age and was going through a deep grieving period. I started traveling with the destination Hawaii... and after my first dive with the manta rays, everything changed. The deep transformation that washed over me made me realize there was...
Aloha Reader, After the devastating wildfires in Maui and the destruction of Lahaina on 08/08, I needed a few days to regain my emotional balance. A smaller fire also occurred on the Mauna Kea Beach hotel's grounds, so all together, it hit very close to home. I've received many heartfelt messages from around the world, and I want to thank everyone who thought of us here in Hawaii. We are doing well. I'm not one for sending emails for the sake of sending emails, but the last couple of weeks...
Aloha Reader, Sure, mantas are the majestic and awe-inspiring "gentle giants" of the ocean. Watching them slowly move through the water is incredibly zen (which you know if you went on a moonlight swim with us or watched the manta ray meditation videos!). But... Manta rays also have a fun and quirky side to them. They get born as burritos, they poop and vomit, they try to fly, and many other things - we compiled the most fun facts about manta rays in this article. I guarantee it will make you...