Gentle giants

At first you can't really believe your eyes. You squint as you begin to see a shape emerging out of the blue and you hold your breath for a moment as it slowly moves closer. But then you can see the entire outline, it is a manta ray! And this one is special, it is a leucistic male Manta birostris. Commonly named the Giant Manta, M. birostris is the largest of the rays and has a unique color pattern making it easy to differentiate between the Giant Mantas and their cousins the Reef Mantas (M. alfredi). However, the unusually pure white face of this manta reveals that it must be leucistic, a condition in which normal pigmentation is reduced or completely absent.

For years the world believed that there was only one species of manta ray. But in 2009, Dr. Andrea Marshall made a discovery that there existed at least two distinct species, and since then has been one of the leading experts in her field. It is easy to confuse one species with the other and required a sharp scientific eye to notice several key features which led to the acceptance of the species separation. Adult Giant Mantas are up to several meters larger than the Reef Mantas. Giants also have a more pronounced coloration on their dorsal (back) surface as well as have a black face, where the Reef Mantas have a white face. When considering spot patterns, utilized in individual identification because each manta has a unique pattern, the Giants have a more localized pattern while the Reef Mantas can have spots in a much wider area on their ventral (belly) side. Giants also tend to prefer more offshore areas while the Reef Mantas, as their name suggests, stay in shallower waters. The thing that makes Southern Mozambique unique is that you can witness both the Giants and the Reef Mantas side by side.

But that is enough talking! Here are the photos:

Dr. Marshall about to get a genetic sample!

On our way back up the coast from this first dive, we also came across a whale shark! We spent a few minutes snorkeling with him but he was too deep to get a really nice photo. On the last dive of the day, I was excited when we came across a sea turtle!