Giant Manta Ray

Photo: Jose Luis Cano · CC BY-NC

Giant manta rays cruise Danzante's western slopes between June and October, their wingspan reaching up to 5 m as they sweep through plankton-rich water stirred by seasonal upwelling. They frequently visit cleaning stations on the deeper sections of the reef, hovering motionless for minutes at a time while wrasse and butterflyfish remove parasites — creating exceptional close-range encounters at 15 to 25 m. Aggregations of 3 to 8 individuals are documented here, making Danzante one of the most productive manta sites in the central Gulf of California.