Manta Ray Habitat

Manta Ray Habitat and Distribution

You will find the Manta Ray out there in tropical waters. They tend to stay very close to the coral reef. You will find them living throughout the Atlantic Ocean including the regions of South Carolina, Brazil, and Bermuda. They are also known to be in the North including areas of New Jersey and extending all the way down to San Diego, California.
They have been spotted along the waters of Africa, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Bay of Bengal.

As long as the water is warm enough and they have plenty of food, the Manta Ray isn’t picky about the type of water that it lives in. You will find them in both bodies of fresh water and salt water. This includes oceans, lakes, lagoons, swamps, and coastlines.

The Manta Ray is easy to spot because it generally will stay very close to the shore and very close to the top of the water. However, there is evidence to suggest in many areas that they love to live in the open sea. This could be due to their natural environment not having enough food so they ventured further out. Generally you will find that it is the larger adults that are in the open sea while the younger offspring stick very close to the shores.

Approximately 150 of them have been found to live along the coastal region of Hawaii. At first it was believed that they were merely migrating through this area but now it has been confirmed that they are long term residents of the areas. In fact, millions of dollars are made annually due to tourists taking the opportunity to dive in these areas and get an up close and person look at the Manta Rays.

They are known to migrate very far in search of food though. As long as the temperatures of the water are warm enough they will be able to do so. Thanks to global warming the locations where they have been found continues to expand. That is in addition to the food supplies in some areas being significantly reduced.

It isn’t believed that they migrate for mating though as many other types of aquatic life do. However, this migration process for feeding can expose them to more opportunities to mate though. Since they can mate any time of the year as long as their basic needs are met, this can help to increase the population.

There are risks to the natural habitat for the Manta Ray though. As they move to new regions in search of food they may be more susceptible to being eaten by sharks and whales. They also are more likely to be struck by large boats or even captured in fishing nets. There are many areas out there where commercial fishing takes place. Since the Manta Ray will naturally follow the food supply they can easily become tangled in nets.

As humans take over the natural habitat of the Manta Ray they are also suffering from pollution. The items that people leave in the water can create problems for the filtering system of these animals. It can result in them not being able to properly digest food.

Due to migration patterns and the destruction of their natural habitat, it is becoming more common to find the Manta Ray in other areas that they weren’t normally known to reside in. Many experts believe that global warming has played a vital role in such movements as well. Since these animals love the tropical and subtropical temperatures they are enjoying the warmer water in areas that they once stayed clear from.