Holy Leaping Mantas!

On our voyage down the Baja coast one of the most interesting sightings was of a pair of Manta rays leaping out of the waves with "wings" flapping before crashing back into the water with a huge splash. It looked for all the world as if they were chasing, or being chased. Our curiosity grew as we watched this behavior repeated over and over as we sailed out of sight of these strange beasts.

Manta rays are named for the Spanish manta, meaning cloak, but are often called devil fish by locals due to the appearance of the "horns" on their head, which are actually fins. Growing to over 20 ft in width, and closely related to sharks with their skeletons of cartilage as opposed to bone, these peaceful giants feed on plankton. They can be found in great numbers along the coast of the Baja peninsula and Sea of Cortez, and it turns out that flying Mantas are a popular sight. But why were they leaping out of the water?

A little research on the topic turned up the unusual answer...scientists don't really know. Some suspect it is part of the mating ritual. Mating takes place usually around a full moon (we saw them on a new moon) with a male and female manta copulating. The gestation period for mantas in approximately one year with the female giving live birth at the end of that period to one, or possibly two, 150 lb baby mantas and no ongoing parental care. Perhaps the female was trying to get away from the male?!

Other researchers postulate that the leaping and flopping behavior is designed to remove parasites or the ubiquitous sucker fish which attach themselves to the mantas. But I wonder if they do it for much the same reason that the dolphins leap and play, racing along the bow of our boat as we speed through the waves...because they can. Dolphins are known to be highly intelligent beings. They are working alongside Navy divers to identify underwater bombs and other hazards. Since Manta rays actually have one of the largest brain to body mass ratios of all fish, perhaps their cognitive ability brings with it behavior usually considered indicative of an intelligent species...play. This possibility seems especially likely when large groups of the rays, sometimes numbering over 100 individuals, are seen leaping and flapping together in formation. Sounds like a fun way to spend the day! Play like a Manta and belly flop in the waves.