scubaseason

Devil Ray

Mobula tarapacana

Sighting evidence at Makena Manta Night Dive, Maui

Devil Ray

Photo: Alessandra Boccabianca · © all rights reserved

The giant devil ray occasionally joins manta aggregations at Makena during peak plankton season, distinguished from the reef manta by its horn-shaped cephalic fins that give rise to the manta family's name. Their presence at a night-dive site is unusual for the species, which more commonly feeds in open pelagic water, suggesting Makena's artificially concentrated plankton cloud is a powerful enough attractant to alter their behaviour.

Evidence at this site

No confirmed records on file at this site

Devil Ray is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.

How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.

Also seen at other sites