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Saving the Ocean’s Gentle Giants

We are proud to partner with Kerstin Forsberg- 2016 Rolex Award Recipient! 
With their seven-metre wingspans, giant manta rays are a captivating sight as they glide through the water. “They are just majestic,” says Lima-based conservation biologist Kerstin Forsberg of the iconic species she became determined to protect after discovering the extent of their vulnerability.
 
The tropical marine ecosystems in northern Peru support the country’s greatest marine biodiversity, giving life to more than 500 marine species. Taking advantage of the nutrient-rich waters is one of the world’s largest regional populations of giant mantas (Manta birostris), estimated to number over 650.
 
Giant mantas, which are plankton filterers, are classified as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with an “elevated risk of extinction”.…

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Capturing a Dream

The Photography of Christian Vizl
Ever since I was a kid, as far as I can remember, I was attracted to the sea. I dream about what lies beneath the waves. I imagine what it would look like if suddenly all the water would disappear for a while, but all the animals and living creatures would remain at the same place they were, so I could then take a walk inside the ocean and see them all, suspended for a moment in time and space.
I still have that same dream, and I am very grateful that now I am able to live it every time I go down to the sea. I see my pictures, and realize they are the result of that childhood dream… beautiful and incredible marine life suspended in their natural environment and captured in a brief moment of time.…

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Manta Trust becomes Mission Blue Partner

While the oceans of our planet cover more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, we still know so little about what goes on beneath the waves.  There are vast areas, great depths and even hundreds or perhaps thousands of species that we still barely understand.  Manta rays can certainly be classed as a species we still have so much to learn about and that is why in January 2012, The Manta Trust came into being; a UK registered charity aiming to improve our understanding of these animals and promote their long-term conservation.
What is the Manta Trust?
The Manta Trust is a growing group of scientists, educators, photographers, film-makers, conservationists and advocacy experts who have joined forces to co-ordinate global research and conservation efforts for both manta rays and their close cousin’s, the mobula rays.…

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At 40, CITES turns its attention to sharks

Delegations from 177 countries are convening in Bangkok starting today, marking the 16th gathering of parties to the international conservation agreement known as CITES. This remarkable agreement has offered protection to over 4,500 animal and 30,000 plant species from depletion and extinction for 40 years.

At the top of the agenda in 2013 are sharks, of which up to a hundred million are killed each year according to a recent study in the peer-reviewed journal Marine Policy. Given the rapacious shark finning trade, this year's conservation focus on these majestic animals is timely and the ocean community is pushing hard for the delegates to add shark and manta species to the Appendix II of the treaty. This simple action would regulate commercial trade of these species and put a much needed brake on over exploitation.…

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