Share your Atlantic manta & devil ray sightings

Have you ever seen a manta or devil ray (sometimes called mobulid ray) while out on the water? We want to hear about it! Use the form below to submit your sighting data and share photo/video of manta or devil ray encounters. This information will contribute to a University of Massachusetts Dartmouth study of manta and devil ray distribution along the U.S. East Coast that will inform research.

If you encounter any problems with the form submission or file upload, please email us at sharedseaslab@gmail.com.

Data Privacy Statement: Your personal information is confidential and you may opt to submit your sighting data anonymously.

Check out our Species ID Guide for more information on identifying manta and devil ray species.

We are primarily interested in manta and devil ray sightings in the Western Atlantic along the East Coast of the United States.

Manta & Devil Ray Sighting Form

Sicklefin Devil Ray | Mobula tarapacana

Species Identification

Key Characteristics:

  • Olive green colored body

  • No white shadow above the eye

  • White stomach with grey shading on the rear section of the stomach. Zigzagging margin between white stomach & grey shading.

Size:

  • Max Total Width: 340cm (~11 ft)

  • Average Total Width: 200-270cm (~6.5-8.5ft)

  • Weight: up to 300kg (~882lbs)

Oceanic Manta Ray | Mobula birostris

Key Characteristics:

  • Broad head with long cephalic lobes (the protruding “horns”)

  • Front-facing mouth (as opposed to downward-facing)

  • Small bump at the base of the tail

  • The white shoulder markings on the dorsal (back) side form two mirror-shaped right-angled triangles, creating a black “T”

Size:

  • Max Total Width: 700cm (~23 ft)

  • Average Total Width: 400-500cm (~13-16.5ft)

  • Weight: up to 2,000kg (~4,410lbs)

Atlantic Manta Ray | Mobula yarae

Key Characteristics:

  • Black ‘T’ shape between white shoulder markings tapers together towards the bottom.

  • If present, belly (ventral) spots clustered around lower abdominal region.

  • Often have large shaded patches on the belly below the gills.

Size:

  • Max Total Width: 481cm (~15.8 ft)

  • Average Total Width: 300-400cm (~9.8-13.1ft)

  • Weight: up to 1,077kg (~2,374lbs)

Spinetail Devil Ray | Mobula mobular

Key Characteristics:

  • White stomach (no spots/marks)

  • Back (dorsal) side is dark blue to black

  • White patches on the tips of the cephalic lobes (the protruding “horns”)

  • Gill openings are white

  • Spine at the base of the tail

  • White-tipped dorsal fin

Size:

  • Max Total Width: 320cm (~10.5 ft)

  • Average Total Width: 180-280cm (~5.9-9.2ft)

  • Weight: up to 300kg (~661lbs)

Bentfin Devil Ray | Mobula thurstoni

Key Characteristics:

  • Stomach mostly white, with dark shadows on the edge of the front

  • Blue to black color on back (dorsal) side

Size:

  • Max Total Width: 183cm (~6 ft)

  • Average Total Width: 135cm (~4.4ft)

  • Weight: up to 200kg (~441lbs)

Atlantic Pygmy Devil Ray | Mobula hypostoma

Key Characteristics:

  • Back coloration varies from light brown to black.

  • Some have a dark grey “collar” between their eyes

  • Dorsal fin has a dark rim along the margins

Size:

  • Max Total Width: 134cm (~4.4 ft)

  • Average Total Width: 110cm (~3.6ft)

  • Weight: up to 24kg (~53lbs)

Species Identification text adapted from ISSF Saving the Mobula Rays poster and Manta Trust’s Manta and Devil Ray Species pages.

Manta and devil ray artwork by Julie Johnson - Life Science Studios.

Manta and devil ray photos obtained from the Manta Trust website.

This research effort is led by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth - School for Marine Science & Technology, in collaboration with Marine Megafauna Foundation, Manta Trust, Manta Catalog Azores, Conservation Ecology Lab at San Diego State University, and Mobula Conservation Project.