Story perspectives

Manta Rays Dive 1,200 Meters, Revealing Navigation Secrets

10/16/2025

Summary

Story summary

The study, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, shows oceanic manta rays can dive over 1,200 meters to navigate.
Researchers tagged 24 manta rays in Indonesia, Peru, and New Zealand, collecting 2,705 tag-days.
Most extreme dives occurred off New Zealand where the shelf drops sharply.
The mantas dive in a stepped pattern and spend little time at depth, sampling temperature and magnetic cues to orient themselves, which underscores conservation needs.

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Story summary

The study, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, shows oceanic manta rays can dive over 1,200 meters to navigate.
Researchers tagged 24 manta rays in Indonesia, Peru, and New Zealand, collecting 2,705 tag-days.
Most extreme dives occurred off New Zealand where the shelf drops sharply.
The mantas dive in a stepped pattern and spend little time at depth, sampling temperature and magnetic cues to orient themselves, which underscores conservation needs.