The Giant Manta Ray
In The Giant Manta Ray, naturalist Steve Backshall comes across a giant manta ray in the ocean around Isla de la Plata in Ecuador. The giant oceanic manta ray can grow up to a maximum of 9 meters or 30 feet in length. This video is excerpted from BBC's Deadly 60, an award-winning nature and adventure show for kids in which narrator Steve Backshall has one mission: to travel the globe in search of 60 of the world's deadliest animals.
Lesson Express
Q: Why have so many giant manta rays made this island their home?
A: The waters from the deep wash up against the island and bring up food.
Q: What do you notice about the mobula rays?
A: They look like smaller versions of the giant manta rays and they swim in perfect formation.
Q: How do giant manta rays eat?
A: Using the long lobes at the front of their body, they funnel plankton toward their mouth and suck them down in a single mouthful.