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See the original image at ngm.nationalgeographic.com

Manta Ray Feeding Frenzy! [PHOTOS]

ngm.nationalgeographic.com — When tide and current turn a tiny bay into a bowl of plankton, manta rays in the Maldives gather for a roiling, whirling feast. Don't they look a little bit like reimagined Cylon raiders?

Who dugg this? Made popular Jul 6, 2009

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  • ChrisEhl, on 07/05/2009, -4/+28I still can't forgive their cousin for killing Steve.
  • Rotzooi, on 07/05/2009, -1/+17Amazing animals, and one of the many reasons we need to stop destroying our seas.
  • inactive, on 07/05/2009, -2/+14Possibly the coolest looking animals on the planet. Wonder if my landlord will let me keep one as a pet!?
  • fragMasterFlash, on 07/06/2009, -1/+8CRIKEY!
  • QreepyBORIS, on 07/06/2009, -1/+8The last picture is just amazing. It's even more incredible when you consider that these creatures can get up to 25 feet from wingtip to wingtip and weigh up to 5000 (!!) pounds. That would be quite a sight to behold underwater!
  • Gibletoid, on 07/06/2009, -0/+7I was snorkelling off of Key West on vacation one year, and was following two 4 foot wide rays that were 15 feet below skimming the sand.

    One suddenly took exception to the fact I was gliding above them I guess, and with two flaps of it's wings it had shot like a missile and came out of the water, about 1 foot from my face, turning on the surface, and rejoining it's swim partner.

    Scared the crud out of me.

    The fellow running the tour on the boat saw it, and told me he had never seen one come out of the water like that before.
  • inactive, on 07/06/2009, -0/+6OM NOM NOM NOM NOM
  • Smyley, on 07/06/2009, -2/+4I'll stop destroying their seas when their relatives stop destroying my favorite Australian crocodile hunters.
  • Tombag, on 07/06/2009, -0/+2The thumbnail looks like an aerial shot of a badger on its knees, arms out going "NOOOOOO". You know that cliche!
  • Nantel, on 07/06/2009, -0/+2We're currently in Hawaii and got to snorkel with these guys last week. It was AWESOME!
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/nantel/3683176187/
  • allrighty, on 07/06/2009, -2/+4OM NOM NOM NOM
  • stuffradio, on 07/06/2009, -0/+1a Heavy what?
  • GTOFan350, on 07/06/2009, -0/+1I wonder how some of the smallest multi celled creatures can feed some of the biggest animals on the planet.
  • inactive, on 07/06/2009, -1/+2Run little plankton! The horror...the horror.
  • DouglasQ, on 07/06/2009, -0/+1what?
  • mafax, on 07/15/2009, -0/+1http://digg.com/pets_animals/Mantas_Whale_Sharks_o ... <------- VIDEO!!!
  • tradderjohn, on 07/06/2009, -0/+1dugg for whale sharks
    poor Norton and Ralph
  • mort8824, on 07/06/2009, -0/+1GET IN MY BELLY
  • Kerplunk5975, on 07/06/2009, -0/+1http://metallicamanteray.ytmnd.com/
  • Lunarbunny, on 07/06/2009, -0/+1OM NOM NOM was a meme before it was a line for the Heavy.
  • mogglas, on 07/06/2009, -0/+1the last pic looks like something from an underwater version of jurassic park..
  • hayden.evans, on 07/06/2009, -0/+1did you go with Jack's Diving Locker?
  • 4rp4n3t, on 07/06/2009, -0/+1You're too late...
  • IsoscelesCircle, on 07/06/2009, -0/+1You'd need a REALLY BIG tank! ;) Somewhere in the neighborhood of 6.8 million gallons! (from wikipedia info).

    Yes, they are really amazing, gentle, intelligent, and curious giants. Their immense size make them hard to study and they are often misunderstood or poorly represented.



  • GTOFan350, on 07/06/2009, -1/+1Why do diggers always have to correlate everything to a Heavy?
  • wmuldoon, on 07/06/2009, -1/+1Im robbing your house.
  • IsoscelesCircle, on 07/06/2009, -1/+1Wherever Steve is now, he is probably hoping that you do forgive them. The last thing Steve would have wanted is for people to harbor negativity to the creatures he dedicated his life towards studying,educating and entertaining us about. What happened to Steve was a very unfortunate, freak accident. Neither Steve nor the sting ray were to blame. It is sad loss. Sting rays and Manta rays are also VERY different creatures even though they are related. Sting rays are poisonous and can be deadly if you are stung. Pretty much the only way a manta ray is going to hurt you is if it jumped out of the water and landed on you (not likely).

    Having had the opportunity to swim with sting rays at sea, they are also a sight to behold. While they also seemed to be curious about us, I do not think they really pose a threat unless provoked or frightened.
  • alimantado, on 07/06/2009, -0/+0my manta ray is all right!
  • inactive, on 07/06/2009, -8/+2***** this ....

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