Giant manta hauled up on ship's anchor

www.petethomasoutdoors.com...





Beautiful animal even in death. I didn't realize these things got to such a huge size.

I wish I didn't post this thread and that beautiful creature was still living. At least it was an "accident".

A giant manta presumably was hauled up dead after becoming entangled in the anchor line of an oil-rig servicing ship off Nigeria's Bonny Island.

en.wikipedia.org...

The manta ray (Manta birostris) is the largest species of the rays in the family Myliobatidae. The largest known specimen was more than 7.6 metres (25 ft) across, with a weight of about 1,300 kilograms (2,900 lb). It ranges throughout waters of the world, typically around coral reefs. They have the largest brain-to-body ratio of the sharks, rays and skates (Elasmobranchii),[3] a brain which is kept warm during lengthy dives to as deep as 500 metres (1,600 ft) in cold water. They are often described as "flying" through the water on their large "wings", and individuals have been observed to jump clear out of the water, possibly in a form of communication or play.

2900 lbs!

Here's one in happier times.

A sad way to witness such a creature but still...what a specimen. The record is 22 ft across and I can't tell the length(wingtip to wingtip) on this one. They live to be around 25 years, so this must have been an elder.
www.elasmo-research.org...

Peace,
spec

Whats that about 15ft long and maybe 6ft5 high

Absolute monster

Taste great with chips (Fries to you Americans)

reply to post by UFO1414


Wow,that thing is huge..what a trophy for mounting,but where?At a museum or over the local tavern?

Poor creature. It was old from the size.

I do not believe this was an anchor line. There is only one line on an anchor. Not the multiple lines in this picture. I don't know what they were doing, but this looks alot like a net.
So accident? Looks unlikely to me.

Or they could have used a crane to haul it from the water?

reply to post by MissPoovey


Floating oil rigs have many suspension wires that extend to the sea floor. When a rig is moved, the wires are removed and the unit is floated to another location. More wires are installed and the platform is ready for drilling. The wires are anchored to concrete slabs. Hence the name anchor wires. =D

reply to post by Pteraductile


The original post states in quoted area - a ship servicing the oil rig.
Not the oil rig itself.

A lot of people will find a big manta like this creepy but I think they are beautiful, graceful creatures.

They have a little human-looking "face" on the underside, too. its cute.

This very sad...
what makes it worse
is the Ignorant's posing
in front of the corpse...
I have never seen an anchor line
that acts like a net

I took these videos
back in 2010 diving off Nusa Penida
its a popular dive spot called Manta Point.
Its a shallow water cleaning station, where
they come to let smaller fish clean them.

1 of the most beautiful creatures in the ocean[imo]
a gently Giant





my wife bugged
me the whole trip
to dive this spot... it was my 2nd time diving with Manta's her 1st.
thats her Cheesing in the 2nd vid

Originally posted by TheXoor
A lot of people will find a big manta like this creepy but I think they are beautiful, graceful creatures.

They have a little human-looking "face" on the underside, too. its cute.

Manta's don't have a "face" on the underside... Stingrays Do

reply to post by MissPoovey


Normally, an ocean supply vessel like theirs cannot drop anchor without it attaching to the anchor wires under the rig. The vessel is mandated to moor to the rig mounts affixed to the actual rig. Most rigs have floating buoys designed to attach lines (rope) to keep the brow (front) away from the rig for quick release and overhead crane access. So, in emergencies, the vessel can cut the lines if needed to distance itself from the rig or leave quickly due to weather.

Sometimes, articles don't fill in the gaps to explain a circumstance. =)

reply to post by Pteraductile


Thank you.
Your explaination makes it look more like an accident and that is a relief. The thought of people killing this elder of the sea on purpose was troubling.

reply to post by MissPoovey


You are welcome. Sadly, I did a poor job of saying something I meant to, yet didn't. Yes, I believe it was accidental, also. Nice post.

Awesome beastie, same as the ufo I saw in 2003. No kidding.