GIANT MANTA RAY MOVIE
GIANT MANTA RAY FULL

It is dorsoventrally flattened and has large, triangular pectoral fins on either side of the disc.Īt the front, it has a pair of cephalic fins which are forward extensions of the pectoral fins. The giant oceanic manta ray can grow up to 9 m (30 ft) in maximum length and to a disc size of 7 m (23 ft) across with a weight of about 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) but average size commonly observed is 4.5 m (15 ft). birostris with unfolded cephalic fins ( Ko Hin Daeng, Thailand) To donate to Reef Guardians Hawai‘i go to view of M. Terry Lilley is a marine biologist living in Hanalei and co-founder of Reef Guardians Hawai‘i, a nonprofit on a mission to provide education and resources to protect the coral reef.

GIANT MANTA RAY MOVIE

I will have a new movie out about Hawaiian manta rays soon. But if I ever do get that shot I will let everyone know right away! You can see hahalua in action in the movie “The World’s Guide To Hawaiian Reef Fish” on my underwater educational web page.

I tell my students that I have movies of hahalua meeting the sun setting in Kaua‘i and also movies of hahalua greeting the sunrise on Hawai‘i Island, but I haven’t yet shot video of the rays bringing the sun under Hawai‘i. One old story about hahalau I love to share with my marine-science students goes as such : Hahalua the manta ray meets the sun as its sets off of Ha‘ena on the North Shore of Kaua‘i, then she takes the sun under the islands and brings it back up in the morning at Ha‘ena on the east shore of Hawai‘i Island! Hahalua has a special place in Hawaiian culture, and plays an important part of Kumulipo, which is the Hawaiian chant of creation. They may also breach to communicate, see the world above the sea surface, or maybe even just to play! We don’t know for sure why they launch out of the water, but it may be to remove parasites that grow under their wings, which are large, pectoral fins. From time to time you will see hahalua jump completely out of the water, up into the air just like a humpback whale may breach.

GIANT MANTA RAY FULL

They usually mate on a full moon, and dozens of these large rays may congregate, but normally you tend to just see a couple of them together swimming along the surface of the open sea. They have a long, 10-month gestation period. Manta rays live for a long time, and only have one to two live babies every other year. It is quite an event to watch from underwater, but the rays are suffering some health problems due to having over 50,000 people a year in the water with them. The manta will do a very-graceful back flip underwater with their mouth open to scoop up millions of tiny shrimp for a meal. The manta rays show up to eat the shrimp, and divers underwater can watch the activity. Manta rays tend to feed at night, and on several dive sites on the main island of Hawai‘i boats will shine bright lights onto the sea surface, which attracts schools of shrimp. The manta rays are extremely peaceful and harmless to humans, as they do not have a stinger on their tail like most of their stingray cousins. They filter feed on zooplankton and shrimp, and when feeding they open their flaps to channel food into their mouths. Hahalua has cephalic lobes or flaps that surround its mouth. These rays have one of the largest brains of any fish in the sea, and they are semi-pelagic, which means they travel the open seas in search of food. The manta ray does not have bones, but has a cartilaginous skeleton, and that is why when it dies it is rarely fossilized for future generations to find. A chant was often given to the manta rays, and it goes as “huli i ke au hou,” which means “to begin anew in a new space and time.” The Hawaiians in the past would swim with hahalua when they needed to get back in balance with their lives, family or community. The Hawaiian name for the manta ray is “hahalua,” which means “two breaths,” and this gentle giant of the sea has a long history with the Hawaiian people, many of whom feel the manta ray represents wisdom, grace, strength and flow. It is easy to forget about your worries in life as you connect with nature at its deepest level. When you dive with this giant, 3,000-pound ray that can have a wingspan of 15 feet, you often become very calm and peaceful.

Giant manta ray