Manta Conservation Experience - Azores

September 2023

Every year, dozens of sicklefin devil rays (Mobula tarapacana) gather near the island of Santa Maria in the Azores. Where do they come from? Where do they go? Do the same individuals return every year? These are some of the questions that arouse the curiosity of scientists and anyone who loves these mysterious animals.

Guest observes a group of Sicklefin devil rays at Ambrósio seamount, Santa Maria island, Azores. © Ana Filipa Sobral

To help answer these questions, Manta Catalog Azores (MCA) and Oceanário de Lisboa (ODL) brought tourism and conservation together once again last August, for another edition of Manta Conservation Experience (MCE), a programme aiming to support MCA’s research while also creating economic opportunities for local parties.

Team and guests searching for the whale shark encountered minutes before. © Ana Filipa Sobral

Guests joined the MCE’s core team for a week-long trip on the island of Santa Maria, Azores. MCA’s Founder and researcher, Ana Filipa Sobral, and award-winning underwater photographer and researcher, Nuno Vasco Rodrigues, provided educational talks and workshops on underwater photography and photo identification. Underwater guests took part in daily dives at Mobula hotspot Ambrósio seamount and other local marine protected areas such as Formigas islets and Dollabarat reef. During these dives guests actively contributed to the collection of valuable sightings data and photo-ID images.

Individual Az-MT-0279, one of the new individuals added to MCA’s catalog and identified during the trip. © Ana Filipa Sobral

Mobula rays were spotted in the majority of the dives and the guests enjoyed some up-close interactions with a few more curious individuals. A total of eight sicklefin devil rays were identified, all of which were new individuals added to MCA’s ID catalog. These included five males and three females, one of which was visibly pregnant. Besides devil rays, guests and team were able to encounter other iconic Azorean species such as dusky groupers, amberjacks, tuna, dolphins and even the mighty whale shark and sei whale.

One of the whale sharks encountered during the week, followed by some tunas. © Nuno Vasco Rodrigues

This programme challenges the average diver to go deeper with a purpose, to contribute directly to the study and conservation of sicklefin devil rays by working together with researchers. The aim is for guests to leave this trip with a greater awareness of the fragility of these species and ecosystems and, more importantly, to empower ordinary divers to contribute to science.

A friendly female sicklefin devil ray cruising at the surface at the end of the dive at Ambrósio seamount. © Ana Filipa Sobral

The dates for MCE 2024 have been launched and registrations are now open. You can learn more at oceanario.pt/manta-conservation-experience and check our promotion videos here and here.