Scientific name: Mobula alfredi
Size: Up to 18 feet
Color: Black and white
Distinguishing feature: Inverted colors: black above and below, with white spots underneath.
Where did we see it: Raja Ampat
Scientific name: Mobula alfredi
Size: Up to 18 feet
Color: Black and white
Distinguishing feature: Inverted colors: black above and below, with white spots underneath.
Where did we see it: Raja Ampat
The manta ray is a very noble animal and has a great reputation with divers. The black one is rarer than the white one, West Papua is one of the places in the world to meet them.
Unlike the "normal" manta ray, this one is totally black on the belly, with some white spots. It's a genetic polymorphism that creates this black coloration, so it is not really a different specie.
The tiger shark has slender marks similars to the lines of tigers, hence its name.
When it is juvenile, these marks are round and not vertical. They change when it grows.
Parrotfish create a protective envelope around them when they are sleeping.
So, don't put the light on them during night dive to don't to wake them up and break this envelope.
Mammals have a horizontal tail.
Fishes have a vertical fin.
