February 2019

We want to introduce you to the passionate people around the world that make up the Manta Team. For our latest edition, we interviewed Michel Guerrero, who heads-up the Proyecto Mantas Ecuador.

Michel’s selfie game is next level! Photo by Michel Guerrero — **Michel’s selfie game is next level!** *Photo by Michel Guerrero*

Tell us about your first manta/devil ray encounter.

It was amazing… It happened in September 1996, during my first-time diving at Isla de La Plata in Ecuador. Just as I was ready to enter the water, the captain of the boat shouted “shark!” and everybody on-board got worried. I stayed still, and then I saw a fin and this huge black shadow on the surface. I yelled back “manta ray!” and jumped immediately into the water! It was the first time I saw a manta and I totally fell in love with them.

Betty (far left) discussing ray identification with Indonesian stakeholders. Photo by Joao Rodrigues. — **Betty (far left) discussing ray identification with Indonesian stakeholders.** *Photo by Joao Rodrigues.*

What was your journey that led you to set-up 'Proyecto Mantas Ecuador’?

After this experience and working as a dive instructor, I founded Exploramar Diving, the only PADI 5-star IDC dive centre in Ecuador; located on the coast of Ecuador, close to the Machalilla National Park that includes Isla de La Plata. Between 1996 to 2006 I saw a lot of mantas and many questions began to arise about the presence of these individuals in our waters. So, I started to read about mantas on the internet and learned to take ID photos. In 2007 I decided to create a project in Ecuador to focus in the study of this manta population. By 2011 we had in our database about 700 different oceanic mantas recorded. In 2011 we created Proyecto Mantas Ecuador and now in 2019 we have around 2,500 individuals in our database; the largest aggregation of oceanic manta rays in the world!

What legacy would you like to leave in your field of research/conservation?

Our main goal is to study and get to know everything we can about this species, to make the world fall in love with the giant manta rays of Ecuador. We hope that thanks to science, we can protect, conserve and care for them.

Sizing up a giant! Photo by Michel Guerrero — **Sizing up a giant!** *Photo by Michel Guerrero*

What is the most challenging part of your work?

Travelling every day during the season (it takes almost two hours by boat to reach Isla de La Plata), enduring difficult conditions of the sea and weather, and diving in cold water and with strong currents, are all very challenging parts of my work. However, being able to work with these magnificent individuals is the best reward that one, as a researcher, can have.

What is the most surprising thing you have learnt about manta/devil rays?

Making eye contact with a giant manta ray is definitely the most wonderful and beautiful sensation that a human being can have. This impressive experience makes us realise that we are part of an incredible world and that we must learn to know and love all the individuals of this planet. Being close to a giant manta ray can easily change a person's life and encourage them to be a better human being.

If you could ask people to do one thing to help - what would it be?

People need to learn about these wonderful creatures! If you get the chance to experience being close to mantas, at least once in your life, you must take it because it is a life-changing experience! You can also help researchers and scientists with donations to help them continue conducting studies that can help protect these incredible marine animals.