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Explore the spectacular Manta Bowl

MANTA BOWL is the Manta Ray capital of the Philippines, the habitat of the world’s biggest ray. Ticao Pass has one of the world’s highest concentration of plankton due to the strong currents from San Bernardino Strait. These currents push large groups of plankton and other organisms to gather in the area, making this an ideal cleaning and feeding station for the Manta Ray. The Pass is the deep sea “big-boys’-alley” which also attracts Whale Sharks, Hammerheads, Tresher Sharks, and other pelagics.

Manta Ray Quick Facts

MANTA RAYS (Manta Birostris) are the largest and most harmless rays in the world, found mostly in tropical warm waters. The Manta Ray's cousin, the Sting Ray, has a reputation world wide to be dangerous because of the stinging spine on their tail used for defense. The Manta Ray, however, does not have a stinging spine, instead they have a short tail which is simply part of its biological design, but not used for any defensive purpose. In fact, Manta Rays are known to be extremely curious animals often approach and solicit the attention of divers, but never known to attack. Their intelligence is often attributed to their high ratio of brain weight to their body weight. They are believed to be one of the smarter sea creatures, although their intelligence has not yet been actively explored.

Rays are a flattened type of fish, which is believed to have evolved from sharks. They are dark brown to black on top and are mostly white underneath. Like sharks, Rays do not have bones in their body. Instead, a Ray's body is composed of hard cartilage. The Manta Ray, being the largest of its species, can grow up to 9 meters (29.5 feet) wide and weigh around 3 tons (1350 kg). The average width of a manta is approximately 6.7 meters (22 feet) and 1.2 tons (540 kg).

Manta Rays are graceful and powerful swimmers. They come by several names world wide including Pacific Ray, Devil Ray, Devil Fish, or just plain Manta. They move by flapping their pectoral fins. The enormity of their pectoral fins allow them to swim rather fast and provide enough power to make them leap out of the water, often causing a large and loud splash when they re-enter the ocean.

Why the Mantas in Donsol

DONSOL is an ideal feeding and cleaning station for Manta Rays, especially from December to May.

The Manta does not have any teeth. To eat, they funnel their food into their mouth while they swim, using their two large, flap-like cephalic lobes which extend forward from their eyes. Manta Rays feed on microscopic plankton, small fish, and tiny crustaceans. The strong current from the San Bernardino Straight from December to May makes Donsol an ideal feeding center for the Manta.

Given their size, it is a challenge for the Manta Ray to clean itself. The Manta relies on wrasse like Remora fish to remove small parasites from their skin and gill cavities. Because of the Donsol's water conditions, the needed wrasse are abundant, making Donsol not only a Manta feeding center, but also a Manta cleaning station.

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