A dedicated all-female team is working to protect the manta rays of the Maldives.

Floating in the crystal waters of Hanifaru Bay, Beth Faulkner quickly calculated the number of rays below her.

‘There are about 100,’ she estimated, referring to the reef manta rays swimming beneath her. ‘Usually, it’s closer to 50 or 60.’

Beth Faulkner is a project manager at the Manta Trust, a conservation charity dedicated to studying these incredible creatures. Related to sharks, some manta rays can have wingspans of over 20 feet. Unlike stingrays, which can inflict lethal wounds, mantas are completely harmless, Faulkner explains.

‘They have no sting, no teeth, nothing to harm humans. That’s why they’re such a joy to swim with,’ she adds.

Despite their harmless nature, manta rays are facing severe threats from human activity. The International Union for Conservation of Nature reports that the global population of reef manta rays is on the decline, primarily due to fishing, habitat loss, and the impacts of climate change.

Trapped in the net.

Commercial fishing is one of the leading dangers for mantas, with many being intentionally targeted or accidentally caught in fishing nets.

‘Mantas are slow to grow and reproduce, which makes them particularly vulnerable to overfishing,’ explains Faulkner. ‘The pressure from fishing can quickly reduce their populations.’

On top of this, demand for manta rays in traditional Chinese medicine has surged across Asia in the past decade.

It's difficult to determine the exact number of manta rays still in the wild, but the largest known population resides just off Faulkner's doorstep in the Maldives, within the Indian Ocean. Her team has documented over 5,100 reef mantas in their database so far, Faulkner reports.

‘Just like humans have unique fingerprints, manta rays have distinctive spot patterns,’ explains Faulkner. By photographing these spots, her team can track each manta individually, avoiding the need for tagging, which she says is ‘less invasive and reduces stress.’

Manta Tracking Data

A typical day for Faulkner and her team starts with collecting research equipment from the Manta Trust office at the Four Seasons Laanda Giraavaru resort. The team then ventures into the waters of Baa Atoll, seeking out manta rays in feeding and cleaning areas, where smaller fish remove parasites from their bodies. They photograph each ray, perform ultrasounds on pregnant females to monitor the health of their pups, and take measurements.

The goal is to gather comprehensive data on ‘how mantas live, how they thrive, and how they interact with their environment,’ says Faulkner. This information is crucial to provide evidence for their protection.

Faulkner’s team is part of a global network. The Manta Trust collaborates with over 20 affiliated projects worldwide. In 2020, their efforts were instrumental in securing protections for manta habitats in the Maldives, Seychelles, and Palau.

For Faulkner, these initiatives are a piece of a much broader mission.

‘Everything plays a role,’ she says. ‘When species are removed from an ecosystem, it can throw the entire system off balance. Protecting mantas isn’t just about the rays—it’s about safeguarding the whole ecosystem.’