Although bigger mantas have been seen, in the Maldives they typically grow to 3.5 to 4m in wing span at most. The name manta rays derives from the Spanish word manta, meaning cloak or blanket. However they have had many different names, among others devil fish. Historically fishermen have thought that these harmless rays were evil, therefore they were hunted, nowadays they are still hunted but for their gills which are used in traditional Chinese medicine.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) declared giant manta rays as ’vulnerable with an elevated risk of extinction’ in November 2011. In Maldives however, there is a healthy population of about 6-7000 mantas that reside in the country’s waters all year round.
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