This is good news because only a few of the gentle giants are actually stuck inside and swim in circles all day. Maintaining huge tanks is logistically difficult and that’s why only a few places worldwide are adequate to keep mantas captive. The feeding process feels unnatural but it seems to work in Georgia, as they have the same mantas for several years. The task of feeding plankton to a filter feeder is very challenging. Mantas can never stop swimming and have to always keep moving forward: they’re filter feeders who eat as they swim. These aquariums are GIGANTIC (several million gallons) and not too long ago, I had a chance to go backstage in Georgia to see how the mantas are being fed. Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island Bahamas.Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa, Japan.We know of four places around the globe that have mantas in huge aquariums: Four Aquariums Worldwide to See Manta Rays Later we will also circle back to Andre and his inquiry. Researching the answer led me down a journey of discovering several resources that I am sharing with you today for your reference. We had met in Hawaii a few years back and he was curious about my thoughts about captive programs (i.e. What do you think about this manta ray in the Atlantis aquarium? So this topic ties into an interesting question from Andre, a long-time manta enthusiast from Brazil: Smaller species of rays (like the cownose ray or stingray too) are commonplace in aquariums worldwide, but manta rays are very rarely found in captivity. With many rays in the ocean like the spotted eagle ray, bat ray, mobula ray, devil ray, or butterfly ray, most guests are surprised to learn that they have not actually seen a manta ray in person they’re confounding mantas with other types of rays. Most often the answer is YES, people believe they saw a manta in aquariums worldwide: “ at Sea World”, “ in the Maui Aquarium”, “ at Monterey Bay” or “ on TV □ ”. “ Have you ever seen a manta ray before?” is one of the first questions we like to ask guests who join us on a moonlight swim with manta rays.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |