Help Protect the Manta Rays - DONATE NOW

Australia’s Most Endangered September/October 2026

Be a ray of hope for mantas

Graceful, intelligent and cloaked in mystery, manta rays are among the ocean’s most extraordinary creatures. Yet these gentle giants face threats from fishing, entanglement, boat strikes, marine debris and climate change.

Manta rays are particularly vulnerable because they reproduce so slowly. Females may be more than ten years old before giving birth to their first pup and, in some regions, may wait up to eight years between reproductive cycles. Once populations decline, recovery can be extremely difficult.

Australia offers a rare ray of hope. Our manta populations remain relatively healthy, giving researchers an invaluable opportunity to understand what thriving populations need before it’s too late. Through Project Manta at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Dr Asia Haines and her colleagues are working with citizen scientists to uncover the secret lives of these remarkable animals.

Every manta carries a unique pattern of spots on its belly, just like a fingerprint. Photographs submitted by divers, snorkelers and tourism operators allow researchers to identify individual rays. Then they can trace their movements and discover the reefs and feeding grounds most important to their survival. Acoustic tags and satellite tracking can reveal even more: where mantas travel, where they raise their young and how warming oceans may affect their future.

Your donation will help Project Manta inspire and educate the next generation of ocean ambassadors, purchase acoustic and satellite tags, and build the evidence needed to guide effective conservation.

By donating today, you can help ensure these magnificent ocean giants for generations to come, before it becomes another species in crisis. Your contribution will support habitat restoration, conservation science and on-ground action to safeguard one of Australia’s most unique and irreplaceable animals. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

Image credit: Patrick Uramowski