Wild Grace

The Oceanic Manta Ray has one of the largest brains, weighing up to 200 g and the largest brain-to-mass ratio of any fish. It heats the blood going to its brain and is one of the few animals (land or sea) that might pass the mirror test, seemingly exhibiting self-awareness.

The Oceanic Manta’s cephalic lobes are usually black on the inside, used to direct the water into the mouth and feed on the tiny zooplankton. They’re also used to sense the environment through the electrosensory pores and recent studies suggest that Oceanic Mantas use the cephalic lobes (position) to communicate.

This was the first Oceanic Manta I had the opportunity to photograph, it was as usually with pelagic animals, a surprise. This young adult size was impressive, even though I knew how big they are. He was very curious and danced around for a while, a wild unforgettable moment.