Classroom lesson · Wildlife · 🇫🇲 Micronesia

Manta ray - the gentle giant of the reef

The world's largest rays gather in Micronesian waters to feed

Photo · Wikimedia Commons

What is it?

Manta rays are the largest rays in the world, with 'wings' that can spread over 7 metres from tip to tip. They glide slowly through warm tropical oceans, turning and rolling through the water like underwater birds. Micronesian reefs are one of the most important gathering places for manta rays anywhere on the planet.

Tell me more

Manta rays look powerful and dramatic, but they are completely harmless. They have no stingers and no sharp teeth. Instead, they eat some of the tiniest things in the ocean - tiny creatures called zooplankton and small fish. They swim with their huge mouths open wide, filtering millions of these tiny creatures out of the water as they glide.

One of the most spectacular things manta rays do is leap out of the water. A manta ray can jump completely clear of the ocean surface, twist in the air, and land back with a huge crash. Nobody is quite sure why they do this. Some scientists think it might be play, or a way of shaking off small creatures attached to their skin.

Manta rays are famous for visiting 'cleaning stations' on the reef. These are special spots where small fish called cleaner wrasse wait. When a manta ray arrives, it hovers almost still and lets the little fish swim all over it, eating parasites and bits of dead skin. It is like going to a spa - and the manta ray will travel a long distance to visit its favourite cleaning station.

Manta rays have the largest brains of any fish. They seem to recognise individual humans who swim with them regularly, and in some places they appear curious about people rather than afraid. Scientists are still learning how intelligent they really are.

In the classroom

Walk your class through this in 15 minutes.

Talk together

Discussion prompts

01Manta rays are huge but eat only tiny things. What other large animals can you think of that eat surprisingly small food?
02The manta ray goes to a 'cleaning station' and holds still for little fish to work on it. That takes trust. What does that tell us about how animals can cooperate?
03If manta rays can recognise individual human faces, what does that mean about the kind of minds they might have?

Try this

Classroom activity

Measure 7 metres across the playground with a piece of rope or string. That is the wingspan of a large manta ray. Line up your class and see how many of you fit across one manta ray, arms outstretched. Then sit together and discuss what the ocean would look like from the manta ray's eyes, gliding near the surface.

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