The Urban Manta Ray
As featured by National Geographic!
Incredibly, given their size, Florida’s manta rays often go unnoticed! They definitely notice us though, and Jessica Pate’s Florida Manta Project is revealing that a significant number of local mantas are struck by boats and entangled in fishing line. These are just a couple of the threats that mantas face globally, all of which resulted in their being listed on the Endangered Species Act last year. Too often, “nature” is viewed as something as distinct and distant from human development. With this image of a manta swimming in a “hardened” inlet, within the bounds of human development, I am hoping to convey a sense a proximity, and increase awareness of our impacts. In this area specifically, mantas (and human safety) would benefit from boaters keeping a better lookout and proceeding at safer speeds. Fisherman should also avoid allowing mantas to swim near their lines and should not cast on these rays, which are protected.
Creating this image was challenge. This is the only time in four years of assisting with manta studies that I have seen a photographable manta in this area. To make the image I had to lay on the lip of the sea wall, extend my camera down as far as I could reach and carefully balance so as not to fall into the ripping current. I shot blindly, taking as many as 900 frames to get a good combination of manta below, and structure above. I used my canon rebel SL1, Tokina fisheye, and Ikelite housing to make the image. My camera was on manual, f11 and 1/320th. I used auto ISO, but would prefer to underexpose using a lower ISO if given another chance.
