Ray of Hope

Ray of Hope

Photograph by José Alejandro Alvarez

Isla de Plata, an island off the coast of Ecuador, is home to the Machalilla National Park. This hub for marine research is where conservation biologistAndrea Marshall, founder of the Marine Megafauna Foundation, leads her team in discovering new and conserving known manta ray species. While this National Geographic emerging explorer has seen her fair share of rays in the surrounding waters, Marshall views every encounter as a breathtaking experience. Here, on a day with particularly high manta activity, she shares a dive with her favorite gentle giant, nicknamed “Super Manta” for an S-shaped propeller scar on its back.

"There are days where we encounter over 70 giant manta rays as they aggregate in the shallow bays of this island. On this day, as we descended on our dive a particularly inquisitive manta ray, almost six meters in wingspan, came to greet us. She spent over 20 minutes playing in our bubbles, posing for photographers, and allowing me to collect various measurements and samples for our research program. She was perhaps one of the most friendly and tolerant manta rays I have ever encountered.

"What struck a chord was that, like most mantas in this region, she bore wounds that suggested that she had been struck by a boat and cut up by its propeller. She also had an old rusty hook embedded in her flesh and old scarring from past net entanglement. Despite all of the anthropogenic pressure that she had endured in her life, this animal was still so gentle with us, still so tolerant of our presence. Manta rays are among the most inquisitive and engaging animals in our ocean. With the largest brain-to-body ratio of any fish, its social nature is more reminiscent of marine mammals than other fish species. Encounters with these gentle giants are life changing. I study them for a living and every time I see one it literally takes my breath away.

"But these iconic animals face countless threats from man, and growing fisheries for their valuable gill rakers threaten to wipe out even the largest known populations. Like many of the incredible megafauna species of the world, manta rays are now vulnerable to extinction. The common threat for each of these species? Mankind. Unable to claim ignorance anymore, mankind must now hold itself accountable for its actions. Without swift and focused change, our devastating crimes against the environment will be our lasting legacy to the planet."