The family atmosphere in Yap made staying at the hotel a very personal and memorable experience. Other guests were welcomed by General Manager Ruud van Baal and the staff of the Manta Ray Bay Resort. On this, Kathy Townsend from the University of Queensland, Australia has been involved with pollution for many years, especially in the case of sea turtles that often mistake plastic waste for their natural food and perish when they consume it. The topic of plastic waste was another thematic focus. Indeed, the business of finning does not “see” the people living in the poorest regions of the world. For them, it is a struggle for survival, to provide for their families. However, marine scientist Vanessa Jaiteh, who has spent substantial time with fishermen in Indonesia, commented on their everyday life, saying that there was a different understanding there, as many people simply did not understand why the fins of sharks were so much in demand. The brutal practice of finning – cutting the fins off the sharks – is a topic that comes up again and again. We hope everyone will come away from this experience awed by the ocean and its creatures with a deep appreciation for Yap and love for its people and culture,” said Hartup.Īfter the dives, seminars were conducted so participants could learn not only about the behaviour of mantas and sharks, but also the concerns about overfishing. Not only will you be learning about mantas but also their very close relatives the mobula, sharks and other marine mammals. During the day you’ll dive with mantas and over the pristine reefs surrounding Yap, in the afternoon you’ll attend workshops to learn about megafauna, and in the evening you get to see pictures of these amazing animals. We planned this event to take place during manta mating season, the most active time of year where close interaction with multiple animals is nearly assured – we are hoping to get a lot of valuable information. You’ll get to see the type of equipment we use, how we gather information and how its processed. “This is an rare opportunity for divers to dive with manta rays together with the scientists who study them. The motivation behind Manta Mania was to give guests an insight into the scientists' work and to enable divers to participate in some of the research work. Supported by the team from Yap Divers and Manta Ray Bay Hotel, under the guidance of Bill Acker and his family, she launched this unique event – Manta Mania – three years ago. Julie Hartup, Project Manager of MantaTrust, has been studying the animals for many years and is a pioneer in this region. Science and fascination within one's reachĮvery year, during the mating season of the manta rays in Yap, scientists and interested divers from all over the world descended upon the small island of Yap, in the middle of the West Pacific.
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