Skip to menu Skip to content Skip to footer
The University of Queensland
  • Study
  • Research
  • Partners and community
  • About
School of Biomedical Sciences
  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Head of School's welcome
    • Strategic Intent
    • Global strategy
    • Committees
    • News
    • Events
  • Study
    • Study
    • Undergraduate
    • Higher Degrees by Research
    • Professional development
    • Honours
    • Teaching disciplines
  • Research
    • Research
    • Research themes
    • Research groups
    • Early career researchers
    • Research capabilities
  • Facilities
    • Facilities
    • Analytical Facility
    • Gross Anatomy Facility
    • Histology Facility
    • Integrated Pathology Learning Centre
    • Integrated Physiology Facility
    • Microscopy and Image Analysis Facility
    • Teaching facilities
    • Viral Vector Core
  • Student support
    • Student support
    • Resources
    • First year study sessions
    • Research student resources
    • Lavidis Grant
    • Student-staff partnerships
  • Engagement
    • Engagement
    • Donate
    • Work with us
    • Body Donor Program
    • Industry partnerships
    • Primary and high school activities
  • Our people
  • Contact
  • Study
  • Research
  • Partners and community
  • About
  • UQ home
  • News
  • Events
  • Give
  • Contact
  • UQ home
  • News
  • Events
  • Give
  • Contact
School of Biomedical Sciences
  • Home
  • About
    • Head of School's welcome
    • Strategic Intent
    • Global strategy
    • Committees
    • News
    • Events
  • Study
    • Undergraduate
    • Higher Degrees by Research
    • Professional development
    • Honours
    • Teaching disciplines
  • Research
    • Research themes
    • Research groups
    • Early career researchers
    • Research capabilities
  • Facilities
    • Analytical Facility
    • Gross Anatomy Facility
    • Histology Facility
    • Integrated Pathology Learning Centre
    • Integrated Physiology Facility
    • Microscopy and Image Analysis Facility
    • Teaching facilities
    • Viral Vector Core
  • Student support
    • Resources
    • First year study sessions
    • Research student resources
    • Lavidis Grant
    • Student-staff partnerships
  • Engagement
    • Donate
    • Work with us
    • Body Donor Program
    • Industry partnerships
    • Primary and high school activities
  • Our people
  • Contact

Photograph manta rays

  1. Home
  2. Project Manta

Where to find manta rays

Manta rays are found in tropical and subtropical waters. In Australia they are distributed from Shark Bay in Western Australia across the Northern Territory and Queensland to central NSW in eastern Australia. There are a few known main aggregation sites for the reef manta ray including: Coral Bay and Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia; Lady Elliot Island in the southern Great Barrier Reef, Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea, North Stradbroke Island in southern Queensland and Julian Rocks in New South Wales. Oceanic manta rays are rarely sighted in Australian waters, but occasional sightings have occurred across Australia. Aggregation sites are a great place to photograph manta rays, as they are observed predictably at different times of the year and often in large numbers.

Good manners around mantas

Manta rays are curious animals and will often approach divers underwater. However, they tend to swim away if divers chase them or physically contact them. For the best opportunities to observe and photograph manta rays, divers should maintain good buoyancy and control, find a good position to stay in (such as kneeling on sand but not on living substrate such as coral) and wait for the manta rays to approach them. See the Code of Conduct for more details on how to get the best out of your dive with manta rays. 

View the Code of Conduct

Photography to identify manta rays

Each individual manta ray has unique markings on their ventral surfaces (bellies). Taking photographs of this region enables scientists to identify the individual ray and the photos provide a record of the time and location where the ray was sighted. This technique for tracking individuals is termed photo-identification (photo-ID) and is a fantastic tool used by many researchers to address questions including: how many individuals there are; movement patterns between sites; preferred sites and times of year; how long individuals live for; what behaviours are the individuals undertaking (cleaning, feeding, mating). 

Photo-ID is also a great way for public participation in research. Project Manta engages divers to contribute their ID photos of manta rays to the project. If the diver discovers a new manta ray for the database they get to name it!

How to photograph mantas for ID shots

The best photographs for manta identification show the ventral surface, the belly of the manta ray. If possible, aim to get the pelvic region in the frame so that we are able to identify the sex of the animal.

Manta ray ID shot

Submit photos to Project Manta

To submit your photos to Project Manta:

  • Upload your photos to the Project Manta Facebook page
  • Email your photos directly to project.manta@uq.edu.au

Please include your name, contact details, and the date and location of the sighting, plus any additional observations.  

Like us on Facebook

Get the latest photos via Facebook.

Want to receive the latest updates in the Project Manta newsletter? Send us an email to sign up.

  • Photograph manta rays
  • Contact
  • Citizen science: Photo identification
  • Tagging manta rays
  • Feeding ecology
  • Genetics research
  • Mantas in the media
Australian Aboriginal Flag Torres Strait Islander Flag UQ acknowledges the Traditional Owners and their custodianship of the lands on which UQ is situated. — Reconciliation at UQ
  • Media

    • Media team contacts
    • Find a subject matter expert
    • UQ news
  • Working at UQ

    • Current staff
    • Careers at UQ
    • Strategic plan
    • Staff support
    • IT support for staff
  • Current students

    • my.UQ
    • Programs and courses
    • Key dates
    • Student support
    • IT support for students
  • Library

    • Library
    • Locations and hours
    • Library services
    • Research tools
  • Contact

    • Contact UQ
    • Find a researcher
    • Faculties, schools, institutes and centres
    • Divisions and departments
    • Campuses, maps and transport
    • Media team contacts
    • Find a subject matter expert
    • UQ news
    • Current staff
    • Careers at UQ
    • Strategic plan
    • Staff support
    • IT support for staff
    • my.UQ
    • Programs and courses
    • Key dates
    • Student support
    • IT support for students
    • Library
    • Locations and hours
    • Library services
    • Research tools
    • Contact UQ
    • Find a researcher
    • Faculties, schools, institutes and centres
    • Divisions and departments
    • Campuses, maps and transport
Web login
  • © The University of Queensland
  • ABN: 63 942 912 684
  • CRICOS: 00025B
  • TEQSA: PRV12080
  • Privacy and terms of use
  • Accessibility
  • Right to information
  • Feedback