![]() ![]() The mantas’ size and fearsome-looking cephalic fins once earned the animals the name. “We are all part of this planet ocean… It depends on all of us to conserve it. A manta ray pokes a fin through the water’s surface off the French island of Mayotte, in the Indian Ocean. Mantas have a very low reproductive rate, putting them at greater risk of extinction.9 It is dorsoventrally flattened and has large, triangular pectoral fins on either side of the disc. Tumbes, where Kerstin works, is home to turtles, whale sharks, dolphins and humpback whales. The giant oceanic manta ray can grow up to 9 m (30 ft) in maximum length 6 and to a disc size of 7 m (23 ft) across with a weight of about 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) 7 8 but average size commonly observed is 4.5 m (15 ft).Peru and Ecuador are thought to host the largest population of giant manta rays on Earth.Ramp up efforts to reduce accidental by-catch, bringing together organisations for the first time to address the issue.Expand environmental awareness and education activities to inspire appreciation of rays among 700 youth in Peru and Ecuador.Involve 100 citizen scientists with data collection and monitoring to enhance understanding of manta ecology in this region.Strengthen capacity for community-based manta ecotourism, giving fishers in Peru the technical and financial support to become conservation ambassadors.With new income streams from tourism, fishers are starting to release incidentally-captured mantas with the knowledge that they are worth more alive. ![]() An association of entrepreneurial fishers has been setup and over 50 fishers have received training. For the first time in Peru, local fishers are being supported by Planeta Océano to develop responsible manta ecotourism. Whilst a dead manta is worth $40-500 USD, manta ray tourism can bring in $1 million USD during the life of a single ray. Thanks to her team’s work, it is now illegal to capture, retain, commercialize or consume mantas in Peru. Working with coastal communities, Kerstin has built support for the protection of mantas, reaching over 200,000 people to date. Kerstin established Planeta Océano in 2009 to conserve marine life in the waters surrounding Peru. Globally the species is classified as Vulnerable with a suspected population reduction of 30% over the last 75 years, however localised declines can be as high as 80%. Yet, these plankton-eating giants are easily tangled in fishing gear, and are targeted for local consumption and their gill plates, which are used in Chinese medicine. There are few underwater images as iconic as the graceful manta ray captured in full flight with a picture-perfect blue background. Manta rays gliding through the ocean on their seven meter wingspan are a spectacular sight. Have you ever wondered how to photograph manta rays This is a question many people ask us on our boats, and we can fully understand why. ![]()
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