![]() ![]() Subject to favorable weather conditions. ![]() If, as a result, your tour is canceled, you will not be entitled to a refund. The Atlantic manta is a well-known species, brown or black in colour and very powerful. Due to the nature of this tour and the safety of all guests, the tour operator reserves the right to refuse service to passengers who are intoxicated or show signs of intoxication. The smallest of the manta rays, the species Mobula diabolis of Australia, grows to no more than 60 cm (2 feet) across, but the Atlantic manta, or giant devil ray ( Manta birostris ), the largest of the family, may grow to more than 7 metres (23 feet) wide.Must be in good health and fit condition, must be able to climb a short ladder.The manta, unlike other rays, does not have a spine on its tail. MUST BE comfortable in the water, be comfortable using floatation if needed (we have Ride Along option available for non-swimmers) The wingspan of a manta can reach 20 or more feet across and they weigh as much as 3,000 pounds.MUST HAVE PREVIOUS SWIMMING AND SNORKELING EXPERIENCE OR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET IN THE WATER!!!.Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness.Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health.The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies both species of manta ray as vulnerable. Indonesia joins countries including Ecuador, the Philippines, New Zealand and Mexico in granting full protection to their manta rays. “The economics make our decision easy: we now know that a living manta ray is easily worth at least 2,000 times more alive.” “Tourism and fishery values of mantas are at direct odds with one another and we need to make a choice,” said Tiene Gunawan, Conservation International’s Indonesia marine program director. ![]() It came a year after the local government in Raja Ampat announced the creation of a 46,000-square-kilometer shark and ray sanctuary. The new legislation protects manta rays within Indonesia’s 5.8 million square kilometers (2.2 million square miles) of ocean, banning fishing of the rays and their export. In recent years the number of rays have declined rapidly due to voracious demand in China - in particular for the creatures’ gills - for use in traditional medicine. Rays have little fear of humans which makes them popular with tourists but extremely vulnerable to being caught. They are social, gentle and intelligent - they have the largest brain to body ratio of any fish. Manta rays thrive in Indonesia due its coral reefs and strong currents as well as an abundance of the tiny animals the creatures feed on. Raja Ampat, a famous diving spot, is one of the few places in the world where both species of ray can be seen in the same place at the same time. Key populations can be found near the resort island of Bali, Flores island in eastern Indonesia and Raja Ampat off the northwest tip of New Guinea island. Taking tourists out to view rays and other sea creatures provides livelihoods for many people working in popular dive spots across Indonesia. Indonesia is one of the few places in the world where tourists can easily see both species of manta rays, the oceanic and reef varieties. “Given the huge area of reefs and islands in our country, if managed properly, Indonesia could become the top manta tourism destination on the planet.” “Indonesia now has the second-largest manta ray tourism industry in the world, with an estimated annual turnover of $15 million,” said Agus Dermawan, a senior official from the ministry of marine affairs and fisheries. The gentle beasts have wingspans up to 25 feet (7.5 meters), which they flap to propel themselves gracefully through the water. Many foreign tourists come to Indonesia every year to dive in some of the world’s most biodiverse waters and manta rays are a favorite sight. This compares to between $40 and $500 if caught and killed, the group said. Protection group Conservation International hailed the “bold” move and said it was influenced by a recent government-backed review that showed a single manta ray was worth one million dollars in tourism revenue over its lifetime. New legislation gives full protection to the creatures across all the waters surrounding Southeast Asia’s biggest country, which for years has been the world’s largest ray and shark fishery. Indonesia on Friday instituted the world’s biggest manta ray sanctuary covering millions of square kilometers as it seeks to protect the huge winged fish and draw more tourists to the sprawling archipelago. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |