BANGKOK—Six Senses Laamu, in collaboration with Ocean Dimensions, announced that it has become a regional partner of the Manta Trust and a supporter of the Maldivian Manta Ray Project. As a result of this commitment, Six Senses Laamu is responsible for improving its methods of sustainability; preserving and restoring the surrounding marine environment; and protecting sensitive marine ecosystems and species.
Six Senses Laamu and its partner Ocean Dimensions had the privilege of hosting Guy Stevens, chief executive and founder of the Manta Trust, for a week at the end October to explore Manta Point and to discuss future research and conservation opportunities.
Manta rays are large, enigmatic, cartilaginous elasmobranch fishes, which means that they are closely related to sharks. Two species of manta ray have been identified; the giant oceanic manta (Manta birostris), reaching a disc-width of up to 7 m; and the resident reef manta (Manta alfredi), with an average disc-width of up to 3.5 m. These gentle giants feed on zooplankton, some of the smallest animals in the sea by using their cephalic fins to create a funnel to allow litres of water to pass over their gill rakers which filter out the plankton. It is the demand for these gill rakers for use in traditional Asian medicines which resulted in manta rays being listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2011.
Project Established in 2005
The Maldivian Manta Ray Project (MMRP) was established in 2005 and is one of the longest running manta ray research projects in the world. The aim of the MMRP is to collect long-term, robust data on the distribution, biology and ecology of manta rays throughout the Maldivian archipelago to aid in their conservation. The MMRP is the founding project of the Manta Trust; a U.K. registered charity, whose vision is “a sustainable future for the oceans where manta rays thrive in healthy, diverse marine ecosystems.” The Manta Trust currently has research projects in more than 16 different countries worldwide and the results of these conservations efforts were instrumental in the listing of manta rays on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in March 2013.
Using the unique pattern of black spots on the white belly of the manta ray, the Maldivian Manta Ray Project (MMRP) has identified more than 3,000 individual manta rays in the Maldives. Since 2012 Six Senses Laamu and Ocean Dimensions have been submitting photographs of the undersides of manta rays to the MMRP. Twenty-two individual manta rays have been identified using the cleaning stations at the local dive site Hithadhoo Corner, more fondly known as Manta Point. At 20 m deep, off the end of the Ying Yang surf break, an extension of reef sticks out into the Hithadhoo Kandu channel. It is on this platform where resort associates find multiple blocks of corals which host dozens of cleaner wrasse and attract manta rays for their daily cleaning.
Avid diver and underwater photographer, Marteyne Van Well, general manager at Six Senses Laamu, is delighted with the partnership and said, “Six Senses Laamu continually strives towards conserving the environment and protecting vulnerable marine species. This exciting new partnership allows the resort to be part of and support the research of the Manta Trust.”
‘Exceptional’ Dive Site
Marc Zaalberg, owner and manager of Ocean Dimensions, acknowledges the importance of the local site and said, “Upon discovery of Hithadhoo Corner we knew that it was a unique and exceptional dive site. Cleaning stations are often regarded as one of the best locations to observe manta rays and our site certainly does not disappoint.”
The continual year round sightings of manta rays at Hithadhoo Corner and the identification of manta rays which had not previously been observed elsewhere in the Maldives, led to the invitation of Guy Stevens to Six Senses Laamu. After just five days of diving at Hithadhoo Corner, the humble number of 22 individual manta rays increased to 52 individuals. In only a short space of time, 28 of the newly sighted individuals were identified as completely new to the Maldives database. The Laamu atoll database now contains 50 individuals which have only been sighted in the Six Senses Laamu atoll.
What was particularly interesting and exciting news for Guy Stevens was the identification of two individuals which had previously been sighted in other atolls. Manta ray M35, named Bananarama, was first identified in the Baa atoll in 2005 and observed most years since. Her last sighting in the Baa atoll was in June 2012 and since then she traveled almost 350 km south to the Laamu atoll. The second individual, M1446, named Trident, has only been sighted once before, in November 2007 in Addu atoll. Again, this manta ray has traveled almost 400 km across open ocean to Hithadhoo Corner. These feats of travel indicate connectivity between the atolls and add to the mystery of these charismatic giants.
More Images to be Collected
Ocean Dimensions and Rachel Lambert, the resort’s resident marine biologist, will be responsible for continuing to collect manta ray photo-identification images and promoting awareness about manta rays and the Manta Trust throughout the resort.
In addition to ongoing weekly talks on Mantas hosted by Rachel, the team of dive professionals at Ocean Dimensions will also be sharing insights and interesting facts on the majestic Mantas with guests joining regular dives to Hithadhoo Corner. As a partner of the Manta Trust and a supporter of the Maldivian Manta Ray Project, the resort will also be able to provide a new array of educational tools to better educate neighboring local communities on the importance, and vulnerability of, the Laamu Atoll manta ray population.
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