Giant Mantas were once common in the Sea of Cortez. But illegal drift nets, longliners and over fishing have resulted in two years without a sighting. Researcher Paul Ahuja brings us the good news of sightings and protection in the works for these marvelous creatures.

 Manta Ray researchers are happy to report the return of giant manta rays to the Sea of Cortez. After a two year absence manta rays have again been sighted and cataloged near La Paz. "It is all very strange," reports Paul Ahuja, a marine researcher who has been studying manta rays in the Sea of Cortez for 7 years. "We still don't know why they disappeared after 2002, but we are really glad to have found some new ones this year."

Scientists from Manta Mexico, a research team that works with CICIMAR, the marine science graduate school in La Paz, have cataloged 52 of these majestic animals in past years and are still unsure why they vanished. The most recently sighted animals are not part of the 52 cataloged in the past and the whereabouts of those manta rays is still unknown.

 

“We named the manta Sombra, which means 'shadow' in Spanish," said Ahuja.
"They are like shadows in the sea," he continued, "and we hope these new sightings in front of La Paz indicate the return of these beautiful animals to the area.” Manta rays have inhabited the Sea of Cortez for long as anyone can remember and are depicted in cave paintings in Baja California that were made by Baja’s earliest inhabitants.
 

Giant manta rays grow to over 24 feet wide and weigh more than a ton. These docile creatures are almost four feet wide at birth and live more than 50 years. Individuals can be identified by distinctive markings they have on their stomach and chest. Using these markings researchers from Manta Mexico have been able to determine the number of animals present in the waters around La Paz, which are male and female and how long they stay here. To answer the big question, "where do they go?" the Manta Mexico team recently placed a satellite tag on a giant manta.

Giant Manta Satellite Tagged
For the first time long term movements of mantas will be studied using these high-tech tags. Each tag, known as a PAT-4, costs over three thousand dollars. This type of research is not cheap. "The satellite tags record data on temperature, depth and global position." said Arturo Elizalde of Iemanya Oceanica. "When it pops off the animal on May 1 and sends the data to a satellite we will know where the manta spent every hour of every day since it was first placed on the animal back on Dec 15 of 2005.” Iemanya Oceanica is a non-profit conservation group based in La Paz that concentrates on the protection of sharks and rays and their habitats. Iemanya Oceanica served as the link between Manta Mexico and Stanford University in supplying the tag and the funding for placing the tag on the manta.



 

Mantas Rays Gain Protection in Mexico
On November 29, of 2005 Giant Manta rays and their smaller cousins, the mobula ray, which are commonly seen leaping from the water gained federal protection in Mexico. With the publication of Federal Law 029 the giant manta is protected from deliberate or accidental fishing and cannot be possessed in whole or part nor offered for sale. People should not be confused with the smaller rays that are readily available in tacos on street corners throughout Baja. Mexican's use the word 'manta' to describe rays in the way Americans use the word shark for over 400 species of shark. The tacos being sold are made from round rays and diamond rays and are white meat. The giant manta and the mobula fillets are a red meat and are sold usually in dry form as a type of "machaca."

“These species are captured in various parts of the Sea of Cortez and used by different communities,” said Elizalde, “but the decision has been taken to protect them because of their low birth rate of one baby manta or mobula per year. They are very susceptible to over fishing.”

by Paul Ahuja

People interested in supporting the work of Manta Mexico by volunteering or offering equipment or cash donations should contact them at Iemanya Oceanica in La Paz by calling 123-5425 and asking for Paul Ahuja or e-mail Paul@Iemanya.org. All donations are tax-deductible in the U.S. because Iemanya has a 501(c)3 federal non-profit status in the U.S. as determined by the IRS.

Additional Resources

Manta Research in the Sea
Sea of Cortez Islands Portected
Super Port proposed for Colonet
Ensenada Refineries & Gas Terminal
Saving Sea Turtles
Sea Turtles & the Seri Indians

Map of Baja California