Young giant manta rays stay close to home while adults roam more widely

Manta rays, among the ocean's largest fish, display unique migratory patterns, according to a study tracking 59 of them off Costa Rica. Researchers fitted 59 of the rays with acoustic transmitters and tagged 12 with satellite tags, using a blend of technologies to map their movements. Juvenile mantas, measuring around 3 to 3.5 meters across, remained close to Costa Rica's coast, while larger, mature individuals journeyed hundreds of kilometers, reaching waters off Guatemala.

Coastal cleaning stations, where smaller fish remove parasites from the mantas' skin, serve as social hubs for these creatures. Researchers suspect that reaching feeding and breeding grounds in Central America may prompt adult mantas to migrate. The study also highlights the vulnerability of these slow-reproducing, long-lived animals, which face threats from predators and human activities. Protecting the marine corridors these migratory species use is crucial for their survival.