Last month, we went on an expedition with one of the fishermen we are working in the ecotourism project. We went out with them to measure the times it took to get to the area where Manta Rays are constantly seen. Although we didn’t see any Manta Rays, we saw some Mobulas jumping , some sea lions, whales and even some small sharks swimming in the surface! It was definitely a great adventure.

After speaking with the fishermen and some collaborators from other parts of the world, we have deduced that Mantas are harder to spot on a cloudy day than on a sunny day. There are still some doubts whereas this is a behavioral matter or it is just the visual conditions that make Mantas harder to spot. But this is definitely something to take into consideration when bringing tourists to search for mantas.

We now have given manta sighting charts to fishermen so that they can start logging  manta ray sightings every time they go out, registering the area where they spotted them, the weather condition, etc. This is important so that they know where they are anytime they want to take tourists out; and it will also help us with our research.

The boats are still not equipped for tourists, and that is the next step. The budget needed to equip the boats varies between fishermen, because they have boats of different sizes and conditions. They need to build some seats, sunshade, and a small ladder to get in and out of the water. They also need life vests, snorkels, masks, and other on-board security equipment (like first aid kit, lifebuoy, etc).

This month we are giving fishermen and their crew members training on first aid. We will keep you posted on how it goes!