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Flying Manta Rays in the Sea of Cortez during mating season. (Original Post) catbyte Jun 2019 OP
Mating season? Aristus Jun 2019 #1
Well, they're fish, and one doesn't really think of fish as doing it in a mammally sort of way, The Velveteen Ocelot Jun 2019 #2
One also sees that kind of behavior in your average bar right before last call. Aristus Jun 2019 #3
I want to visit those bars. The Velveteen Ocelot Jun 2019 #4
Find any place that serves Jaegermeister and then enjoy the show. Aristus Jun 2019 #5
It's a bird ! It's a plane ! It's ... It's ... You gave me the brown acid, didn't you ? nt eppur_se_muova Jun 2019 #6
Finnish comedian Ismo discusses that line A HERETIC I AM Jun 2019 #21
LOL. That dude is funny, in a dry, Finnish kind of way. nt SunSeeker Jun 2019 #22
Extraordinary! Baitball Blogger Jun 2019 #7
Mantas are so beautiful. n/t MicaelS Jun 2019 #8
❤ this! Duppers Jun 2019 #9
What music would be good to go with that video? yellowdogintexas Jun 2019 #10
They can be over 20 ft across! TexasBushwhacker Jun 2019 #11
Belly flops! nt zanana1 Jun 2019 #12
Belly flops! OxQQme Jun 2019 #13
Those were great! zanana1 Jun 2019 #16
It's mating season Uncle Joe Jun 2019 #18
Ouff! Ouch!!! burrowowl Jun 2019 #20
I would hate to have one of these big guys land in my boat! colorado_ufo Jun 2019 #14
They really like belly flops IronLionZion Jun 2019 #15
Sea of Cortez also home to the world's cutest, shyest and most endangered porpoise: the Vaquita rwsanders Jun 2019 #17
B_I_G_! Manta Ray keithbvadu2 Jun 2019 #19
Mantas are awesome creatures DFW Jun 2019 #23

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,752 posts)
2. Well, they're fish, and one doesn't really think of fish as doing it in a mammally sort of way,
Wed Jun 5, 2019, 11:18 AM
Jun 2019

but apparently manta rays do: "The mating sequence may be triggered by a full moon and seems to be initiated by a male following closely behind a female while she travels at around 10 km/h (6.2 mph). He makes repeated efforts to grasp her pectoral fin with his mouth, which may take 20 to 30 minutes. Once he has a tight grip, he turns upside-down and presses his ventral side against hers...." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manta_ray

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,752 posts)
4. I want to visit those bars.
Wed Jun 5, 2019, 11:22 AM
Jun 2019

I want to see guys leaping into the air and flopping on the floor in order to get women to go home with them.

Uncle Joe

(58,370 posts)
18. It's mating season
Thu Jun 6, 2019, 04:10 PM
Jun 2019

and the divers with the most profound belly flops usually get sex afterwards, mostly out of sympathy.

I read that on the Internet.

rwsanders

(2,606 posts)
17. Sea of Cortez also home to the world's cutest, shyest and most endangered porpoise: the Vaquita
Thu Jun 6, 2019, 04:00 PM
Jun 2019


https://www.firstshowing.net/2019/official-trailer-for-porpoise-rescue-documentary-sea-of-shadows/

For those who may not have a background on this issue, a few points:

1. The Vaquita is a unique, shy, beautiful porpoise who is a one of a kind. There are only a few left, current estimates say less than 10. This isn't losing a regional population of a species with a broader range, vaquitas are only found in the Gulf of California. They are so shy, they were only seen by scientists in the 1970's and few pictures exist that are not of dead vaquitas.

2. The best thing for the vaquita and the fisherfolk would be a NO GO reserve. Research has shown that marine reserves IMPROVE fishing in the surrounding waters.

3. Species with historically low populations DO NOT have the inbreeding problems that result in other species that experience genetic bottlenecks. The current hypothesis is that all deleterious genes have been eliminated.

4. EXTINCTION IS FOREVER!!

5. Sea Shepherd needs your help.

6. This is NOT a historic fishery, as fishermen came to the area primarily to fish for the totoaba to send to the Chinese. In the past the fish were left to rot while the bladders were shipped.

7. Fishing gear that is safe for the vaquita does exist and sustainable catch should be supported so the fisherfolks can make a living. The government of Mexico has held back from permitting the new gear (reasons unknown).

DFW

(54,414 posts)
23. Mantas are awesome creatures
Fri Jun 7, 2019, 06:56 AM
Jun 2019

While my younger daughter was at her school in Hawaii, one one trip, she suggested we go on a night dive in the ocean to see them. I was a little nervous about a night dive due to the sharks, but she said no one had ever been attacked where they go, so I said OK. Just before sunset, they take you out to a spot where someone installed some huge lights on the ocean floor, about half a mile off shore. Then a scuba diver goes down and turns them on. I am not scuba certified, so I had to remain on the surface with a snorkel.

The lights attract plankton, which in turn attracts the mantas. These huge fish then come "flying" in and put on an incredible show. Some of them were performing underwater somersaults right in front of our noses. It was one of the most unforgettable things I have ever experienced.

This video may seem staged, but I promise you, it's exactly what you see.

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