Travel and Scuba Dive Vicariously on the Coralia in Raja Ampat, Indonesia! I came back from my trip in mid-February, and I want to share my experiences with you, I hope it cheers you during this time of uncertainty. One thing I am certain of: the sun always comes out, and this too shall pass. We’ll all be out enjoying our world soon!
[Read more…] about Scuba Dive Vicariously on the Coralia in Raja Ampat, Indonesia!I had a great time with @RickySheety of Digital Nomads! They have several interviews with digital nomads and travelers, so be sure and check them out on YouTube!
I participate in Citizen Science trips because I am a big believer in giving back. When we receive a benefit, I believe we should provide a benefit in return somewhere, somehow. Scuba Diving is a passion for me, animals are a passion, and photography underwater is a passion. I love the ocean, the earth, and all of its creatures. The point is, I must give back to the ocean in some way since I enjoy the ocean in so many different ways. How do I give back? I go on Citizen Science trips, which means I participate in collecting data for scientists to use, and in doing so, I also help support their work. I’ve done trips with All Out Africa, Marine Megafauna Foundation, and REEF. Why do I do it? Here are 4 of my reasons.
The last trip I took with Marine Megafauna’s Dr Andrea Marshall, Queen of Mantas, was an 11 day voyage in Raja Ampat, Indonesia on the luxury boutique liveaboard, The Arenui (not all trips are so luxurious, believe me!). It was a wonderful trip, and I enjoyed getting to know the other divers, who mostly were not there for the same reason I was, but who became very enthusiastic about taking Manta ID photographs. I believe no matter where they are diving, they will take ID photos of animals and send them to the databases for turtles, whales, dolphins, mola mola, and others. Inspiring others to take part in citizen science is also a contribution, and a way of giving back. You can do it too!
One doesn’t have to dive to do citizen science!No matter where you are, there are opportunities to participate. There is National Geographic’s list, and there are projects closer to home. I live in Dallas, Texas and here is a program to document wildlife in urban areas in North Texas Wild. You can also go to www.citizensciencecenter.com. Citizen scientists are a boon to scientists because so much more data can be obtained. If you are interested, you can find an opportunity near you! I highly recommend it!
There are few things in this world I enjoy more than scuba diving, and when I can combine my love of the ocean and its creatures with performing citizen science, I feel like I am doing something to contribute in a positive way to help our environment. I love to travel with my friend, Dr Andrea Marshall, the co-founder of Marine Megafauna Foundation, and principal Manta Ray scientist for the foundation. She was the first person to do a PhD on Manta Rays, and identified two separate species. Her citizen science expeditions are called Ray of Hope, and the trips are always thrilling and informative. Andrea’s love and passion for Mantas is infectious, and I have absolutely caught her enthusiasm for the species.
My first introduction to Manta Rays was off the coast of Ft Lauderdale, Florida, when I was a little girl. They could be seen on the surface during the month of June. Nothing was known about these animals so we were called out of the water so the “devil fish” wouldn’t eat us. My dad always had binoculars with him, and he and I would take turns looking at them from the beach, and from our 5th story hotel room. They looked like they were flying in the water. Until Andrea Marshall (aka Queen of Mantas) began to study them for her PhD in Mozambique, very little was known about them. In a little more than a decade, much has been learned about Manta Rays, thanks to Andrea. She identified two species of Manta in 2008, and this was the first major species to have been discovered by a scientist in 50 years!
I met Andrea when I was in Mozambique in 2012 volunteering in a program to photograph and identify Whale Sharks and to count reef fish. Since that time, I have traveled with Andrea to participate in citizen science in Ecuador, the Yucatan, Komodo National Park, and most recently, on this trip to Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Whenever I travel and have the opportunity to see Manta Rays, I photograph them and upload their photos to Manta Matcher, a global identification software to track Mantas and their movements all over the world.
I am fascinated by the ocean, and by everything that lives in it, but Mantas are the most thrilling animal for me. I will go just about anywhere to see them. Both species are large, an Alfredi’s wingspan average is about 3 or 3.5 meters (12 feet or so) while a Biostris (Giant) Manta’s wingspan can be up to 7 meters (over 20 feet!). In Raja Ampat, our research targets were both Alfredi and Biostris.
The particular dive site we went to is known only to a few people, so I will not name it here. I will say that it is a very pretty site, with stag corals and small cleaner fish. Blue spotted rays were also all over the site. One of the major activities of a Manta’s day is visiting a “cleaning station”, a spot where numerous reef cleaner fish live, waiting to eat the parasites, dead skin, bacteria, and other good stuff from large pelagic (deep ocean) animals. Cleaning is vital to a Manta’s health. By removing harmful detritus from the Manta, the reef fish get food, and the Manta is kept infection free (and wounds are picked clean, allowing them to heal.) Witnessing the cleaning station is a magical experience. The Manta slows down (Mantas always must swim or move through water, it can never rest), hovers over the “station” which is usually a coral head or rock, and the reef fish swoop in for the cleaning. They make several very slow passes over the reef, allowing the fish to do their work. Their mouths are a bit open to allow the fish into the mouth and gill plates (Mantas are filter feeders, eating krill and plankton, the smallest creatures on the planet), and the Manta unwinds its cephalic fins, allowing them to be picked clean as well. It is a ritualistic and beautiful process.
What part do I play when I go on these trips? I get photo identifications of the animals. Manta Matcher takes these ID photos and matches them with others to see if the animal has been seen before, and where. Behavior is important to note, as is the physical condition of the ray. One of the mantas we saw on these dives was missing the tip of her wing. It looked like a clean cut, but I didn’t get a photo, though I did get film.
Also on this day, we snorkeled with the Mantas. ID shots are a goal when snorkeling, but watching behavior and just the sheer joy of being in the water with them are paramount. Manta Rays are gentle creatures, and are endangered. Indonesia in particular is being fierce regarding their protection. Their economic value far outweighs fishing them for their gill plates for Chinese medicine. Manta Rays are endangered, but not every country protects them. For instance, Mozambique has lost 90% of their population over the last twelve years, and that is beginning to be felt economically. Divers who went to Mozambique to see Mantas are now heading to Indonesia and the Maldives where they are more plentiful.
I hope you enjoyed a little citizen science trip with these magnificent creatures! I’m headed to the Yucatan to look for them soon, then off to the Revillagigedos Archipelago, where encounters are very special.
It is Fab Photo Friday! On Day 4, the Ray of Hope Expedition caught up with Mantas! ROHE’s main goal is always to identify as many manta rays as possible, and records were broken on this trip! Takat Makkasar is a known Manta hangout, so day 4 was mostly spent on this reef. When we were not diving it, we snorkeled it. There were Reef Mantas everywhere. As a matter of interest, only Reef Mantas, or Manta Alfredi, live in Komodo. These mantas are a little smaller than the Giant Manta, or Manta Biostris, and instead of traveling the oceans, Reef Mantas tend to stay within a certain “home” area. Reef Mantas can grow to be 12 feet in wing span, while the Giants can be over 20 feet in wing span. This was my very first time to see Reef Mantas, and I love them every bit as much as the Giants I have seen all over the world.
It is so interesting to watch mantas being cleaned. Many pelagics require cleaning (as do many fish) in order to clean wounds, and remove parasites. Butterfly fish are avid cleaners, and in some areas, Angel Fish join in. The butterflies nibble parasites, wounds, and other detritus from the ray.
The number of Manta IDs was incredible! Komodo National Park yielded 80 individual identifications on one day, a record breaker! Andrea was thrilled with the productivity of the trip…and we had a wonderful time along the way. What could be better than citizen science and fun?
At the end of my stay on Bali, I embarked upon a journey through Indonesia to Komodo Island, diving, and much more, along the way. I chose the Arenui because it was sponsoring a Ray of Hope Expedition (Marine Megafauna Foundation) and Dr Andrea Marshall, aka Queen of Mantas, was on board as the resident expert. As many of my readers know, I have been on several trips with Ray of Hope, doing Citizen Science Volunteer work, and I love the Foundation’s mission to save marine megafauna from extinction. Andrea and I shared a room, and what a room! The Arenui is absolutely luxurious! The stateroom was large and roomy and so Indonesian! We stayed in Garuda, the stateroom named for the Hindu deity Garuda, a large humanlike bird who carried Vishnu on its back. The carvings in the room were beautiful, as you can see! The Arenui is definitely the most luxurious boat I have been on, and I am now absolutely spoiled.
The mission of the trip was to identify as many Reef Mantas as possible. Of course, along the way we would dive several other dive sites as well. The diving was incredible. The trip map below shows our journey from Bali, past Lombok and Sumbawa to Moyo Island and the Sangeang Volcano, to Komodo and Rinca Islands in the Flores Sea. It was an incredibly beautiful journey, both above and below the surface.
Andrea Marshall was the first person to do a PhD on Manta Rays. Until her research, very little was known about them. She discovered two species, and a large population off the coast of Mozambique, where she makes her home. She has advocated for protection everywhere in the world. Indonesia, once the main fishery for Manta Rays for Chinese medicine, is now protecting Manta Rays as they have realized they are worth more for their economy alive than dead. Sadly, the once flourishing colony of Reef Mantas off Mozambique has declined by 95% due to Mozambique’s refusal to protect the animals. Manta encounters drew many to Mozambique’s dive centers, and the disappearance of the mantas will have a negative effect on Mozambique’s economy. Andrea has witnessed the decline of mantas in Mozambique over the last 12 years, and it has been heartbreaking. The species is very vulnerable to extinction because of the slow reproduction of the animals. Females give birth every 2 or 3 years to only one pup, rarely there are twins. Fishing Mantas can destroy entire populations because they are taken faster than they can reproduce. These gentle, intelligent ocean giants must be protected in order to save the species from extinction. Andrea devotes her life to advocating for Manta Rays and other pelagics such as Whale Sharks, Mola Mola, and turtles.
Diving Indonesia was an unbelievable experience for me. The sheer amount of life in the seas is almost mind blowing. Stay tuned to Travels with Tam for photos and reports on this fabulous journey. I will be posting frequently to show you the wonders of Komodo (yes, there will be dragons!).
