The crew at Camel Dive Club in Egypt have recorded 15 sightings of Giant Manta Rays (Manta Birostris) during the month of May. They've developed their own sightings database to discover if they see the same individual more than once.

This was project was initiated by Dr Andrea Marshall of Marine Mega Fauna in Mozambique, who came to stay with the club in July last year. Andrea believes the mantas in Sharm el Sheikh are juveniles.

2-3 metres may sound big to you and me but Andrea is in contact with adult mantas daily which can grow up to 7 metres in wing span!

Anyone who has taken photos of the belly of a manta in the Red Sea can forward their photos to [email protected] and [email protected]

Each individual has their own markings under the gill slats which is like a fingerprint. Already the team has discovered that some mantas return each year.

Manta rays face an uncertain future in some regions of the world and are thought to be increasingly targeted for their fins.