Join us in London to celebrate our favourite day of the year!
Over the last two years, we haven’t been able to celebrate World Manta Day in person but that’s about to change in 2022! We're excited to host ‘An evening with Doug Allan’ at the Royal Geographical Society in London on September 17th.
The night will include talks, presentations and videos from Dr Guy Stevens (CEO and co-founder of the Manta Trust), Dr Emily Humble (mobula geneticist and Manta Trust trustee), and Doug Allan (wildlife cameraman and Manta Trust patron).
Doug is a multi-Emmy and BAFTA award-winning cameraman working both topside and underwater. In contributing to The Blue Planet, Planet Earth, Life, Human Planet, Frozen Planet, Expedition Iceberg, Forces of Nature and many other programmes he has made over 100 filming trips, including orcas attacking gray whales off California, polar bears trying to capture belugas in a frozen hole in Arctic Canada, and killer whales washing seals off ice floes in Antarctica – all on-screen firsts.
Doug is a long-time friend of the Manta Trust which started when he was introduced to the Maldives manta rays by Dr Guy Stevens. Since then he has been a patron of the Manta Trust and takes every opportunity available to champion manta rays and our work to conserve them. We’re excited to celebrate World Manta Day 2022 with Doug in London and we will undoubtedly be in for a night of fascinating stories and adventure.
Venue: Royal Geographical Society, London
Date: September 17th 2022
Time: 19:30 - 21:00
Price: £15
“Doug Allan seems to be immune to most of the limitations that govern other humans. Furthermore, he is totally without fear in a way that comes not from recklessness but from deep knowledge and experience.”
MARVELLOUS MANTAS
Manta rays are big. Like… really BIG! Some individuals reach seven metres from wingtip to wingtip and weigh up to two tonnes. That’s as heavy as a rhino!
Each human has a unique fingerprint that can be used to identify them. Manta rays don’t have fingers but luckily they do each have a unique spot pattern on their belly!
Mantas feed on microscopic animals, filtering them from the water using specialised gills. So these giants are safe to swim with… unless you are zooplankton.
Manta rays are close relatives of all sharks and rays. They don’t spend Christmas together but they do all have skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone.
Every year tourists spend an estimated US$140 million to see manta rays in the wild. You can help to conserve manta rays by swimming with them.
Mantas give birth to a single pup at a time, after a 12.5 months gestation period. Pups are independent from birth. They never call home, they never write. So ungrateful.
Manta rays can read your mind! Ok… that’s (probably) not true. But they do have one of the biggest brains of all fish and exhibit complex social interactions.
2 species of manta rays and 8 species of devil ray make up the mobuild family. The horn-like fins on their head earned them their devilish nickname.
Manta rays have few natural predators, they are occasionally preyed on by big sharks and orca. If they are lucky they can live for 50 years or more!
Manta threats
In recent decades fisheries catching manta and devil rays as bycatch (accidental catch), and those targeting them for their gill plates (for use in an Asian health tonic), have devastated populations around the world. As a result manta rays are now listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened species.
The Manta Trust was formed in 2011 with a mission to conserve manta rays, their relatives, and their habitats, through a combination of research, education and collaboration. We have already made an impact for these amazing creatures and continue to direct worldwide efforts and priorities to conserve manta and devil rays through our Global Strategy & Action Plan for Mobulids.
Kid’s Club
Looking for a fun and easy way to celebrate World Manta Day with your little ones? We’ve got a wealth of manta and ocean-themed fun games and activities just a click away in our Kid’s Club!
We have enough activities to keep your kids entertained for hours; designing their own comic books, learning to ID mantas, turning old plastic bottles into beautiful pencil-pots, playing manta bingo, going on a Marvin the Manta Treasure Hunt and much, much more!
ADOPT A MANTA
Adopt Mr Spotty, Juno, Spiderman, Babaganoush, Mrs Flappy, or George the Giant and receive a digital gift pack that includes: a personalised certificate, activity pack, fact-file, poster and bio of your manta and a personalised message card.
We’ve also added two brand new manta adoptions this World Manta Day. Go check out Gudi and Faru Kokaa through the link below. The full cost supports manta and devil ray research and conservation projects around the world!
