Reef Manta Ray

Photo: Luis P. B. · CC BY-NC

Reef manta rays feed in Pozo Negro bay when phytoplankton blooms are amplified by the bay's semi-enclosed circulation, typically from April through October with peak encounters in June and July when water temperatures encourage extended surface feeding sessions. They perform characteristic barrel-roll feeding runs at the surface — looping in tight circles with their cephalic fins curled open to channel plankton-rich water through their gill rakers — a behaviour that allows prolonged observation without the need to chase the animal. Each individual is identified by unique ventral spot patterns, and researchers from the Eastern Atlantic Manta Project have documented individual mantas returning to Pozo Negro across multiple seasons.