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.
Caribbean, Atlantic, The Name Is Irrelevant - it's a new species of manta ray!
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Have you ever had the feeling that everything you thought you knew about the world just went out the window? The first time that happened to manta ray enthusiasts around the world, was around 2009, when scientists confirmed there was not just one, but two species of manta rays. There were enough differences between reef mantas (Mobula alfredi) and pelagic or oceanic manta rays (Mobula birostris) to identify them as two different species. Reef mantas are the ones we see almost every night at the moonlight manta swim, while pelagic mantas cover longer distances and don't come as close to the coastal reefs. And now... it happened again 🤩🤩. Manta researcher Andrea Marshall always thought there was a third species, but it proved difficult to identify. For over a decade, she and other researchers worked tirelessly to collect the proof for its existence. Earlier this year, several publications reported on a potential third species that they tentatively called the "Caribbean" manta ray, as most individuals that matched that description had been spotted in Caribbean waters. And in July, it became official: the Atlantic manta (that turns out to be a more accurate description of their habitat than "Caribbean") has been recognized as the third species of manta ray. Its scientific name is Mobula yarae - after Yara, a water spirit from Brazilian mythology. ​ We've collected everything we know so far about the Atlantic manta ray in this article, and we've started updating all the other information on our website to reflect the third species. That might take a while, though, as we've got hundreds of pages and articles to edit now! What an exciting time for all of us who care deeply about manta rays!
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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, So many kids say they want to work with animals when they grow up, but most end up doing something completely different. Our newest crew member, Ashley Jacob, didn't. At 12, she watched a movie about a dolphin with a prosthetic tail and decided she wanted to work with marine life in rescue and rehabilitation. Today, she's a swim guide at Manta Ray Advocates while finishing her master's thesis and training students in California to continue the elephant seal research she began....
Aloha Reader, As we enter 2026, I find myself reflecting on what motivates me after years of working with the manta rays. It’s not only the thrill of encountering the gentle giants underwater - which never loses its magic - but also the realization that people like you genuinely care. It’s inspiring to see that care translates into meaningful action. We can’t do everything, and none of us can be held responsible for the state of the world, but we can all take action in our own way. For me,...
Aloha Reader, For 27 years now (and counting), I have witnessed people from all walks of life as they meet the Kona manta rays in their natural habitat. The swim can be surprising and, for many, even transformational, and afterwards, at the beach shack, it often leads to deep conversations about life, our planet, and the relationship between humans and nature. For a long time, I've been looking for a way to share these stories - and now it's happening: today, I'm releasing the first 3 + 1...