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Dear friends,
Welcome back to the news page… I hope everybody had a good time over this end of the year. Once again, let me wish you a happy new year!
We will start this year 2006 smiling with a joke in the Bali News, then we will talk about the queen of the ocean, that every diver wish to encounter once in a diving life, the manta ray.
If you have any comments or question, contact us to info@skubaskool.com
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BALI NEWS
Diving course or intercourse?
Four married guys, Peter, Chris, James and Jo go diving over the weekend. They decided to go further in their training and enrolled for a new diving course. One Sunday the following conversation ensued:
Peter: “Man, you have no idea what I have to do to be able to come out diving this week end. I had to promise my wife that I will paint every room in the house next week.”
Chris: “That’s nothing, I had to promise my wife to build her a new deck for the pool.”
James: “Man, you both had it easy! I had to promise my wife that I will remodel the kitchen for her.”
They continued to organise their diving equipment when they realized that Jo has not said a word. So they ask him: “you haven’t said anything about what you had to do to be able to come diving this weekend. What’s the deal?”
Jo answered: “that’s easy! I just set my alarm at 5:30am. When it goes off, I shut my alarm off, give the wife a poke and say, diving or intercourse? So she says, don’t forget your diving computer”.
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PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Photo taken by Jean Yves
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INFO BIO
Copyright Christian Allanic – OK Maldives
CLASSIFICATION
Family:
Mobulidae
Genus: Manta
Species: Birostris
Individual mantas possess distinct dorsal and ventral coloration that is unique to each animal. Generally it is dark brown, greyish blue or black. The Manta birostris can achieve a maximum disc width of 9m, with an average width of about 6/7 m. The largest specimens of Manta weight up to 1350kg. Their estimated life span is approximately 20 years.
WORLD HABITAT
Distribution: The manta inhabits temperate, tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. They are found near the shore to pelagic, occurring over the continental shelf near reef habitats and offshore island. They are usually observed near the surface or in mid-waters of reefs and lagoons, sometimes jumping clear of the water and returning with a splash. Three types of jumps have been observed: forward jumps landing head first, forward jump landing tail first and somersaulting. While it is not understood why this behaviour is exhibited, some speculate it may play a role in attracting mates or is a form of play.
FEEDING BEAHAVIOR
All mobulids are primarily filter feeders that occasionally consume small fish. The filtering mechanism consists of plates of pinkish-brown-sponge-like tissue located between the successive gill bars that support the gills. When feeding, the cephalic lobs unfurl, directing plankton-rich water towards the mouth. They aggregate in areas that offer large concentrations of zooplankton.
REPRODUCTION
Males reach maturity at a disc width of at least 4m while female mature at a disc width of 5m. During copulation male rays bite the pectoral fin of females before aligning themselves, abdomen-to-abdomen, inserting one clasper into female ‘s cloaca. Manta reproduces by ovoviviparity with the birth of one pup during a breeding season. Parturition occurs in relatively shallow water where the young remain for a few years prior to expanding their range offshore.
Due to their size, the only predators of the manta ray are large sharks. |
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