Underwater photographer Kristian Laine took the perfect photo of this magnificent and only known pink manta ray in the world was spotted going about its business around Lady Elliot Island on the east coast of Australia. "I had never even heard of a pink manta, and when I first saw it, I thought my camera was playing up, only later that night I saw a photo of a pink manta on the restaurant's notice board and thought it was a joke until I rushed to check the belly patterns in my camera," Laine told ScienceAlert. Laine was pretty much confused the whole time was overall just glad he got to see and experience something like a rare sight as this.
This is not the first time the manta has been seen. Nicknamed "Inspector Clouseau," it has been photographed only a handful of times. According to Smithsonian Magazine, the first time that is this pink manta, Inspector Clouseau, an 11-foot male, was spotted was by diving instructor Ryan Jeffery in 2015 in the same area. "I came across this strange looking one, it had strange shading underneath. It was very interactive with me, so it hung around with me for about 30 minutes, there were other mantas that came in, and you could really see the distinct difference of coloration underneath," he said.
He started taking photos and videos because he wanted to record it. He has been diving out there for a few years, and that was the first time he ever saw a pink manta ray. He went back and forth for days hoping to see him again but never happened.
View this post on InstagramIts pink manta kind of monday today. The only pink manta in the whole world can be found cruising the shallow waters around lady elliot from time to time, around 8 times in 8 years i think is more like the odds ;) . . . . . #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia #southerngreatbarrierreef #nikonaustralia #gbrmarinepark #australiangeographic #ladyelliotislandecoresort #underwaterphotography #ocean #oceanvision #discoverocean #ausgeo #qldparks #aquatech_imagingsolutions #madeofocean #freedive #natgeowild #natgeoyourshot #natgeoau #aussiephotos #ig_australia__ #natgeo #ourblueplanet #padi #australia_shotz #abcaustralia #oceanconservancy #underwater_is_life #snorkel.around.the.world #naturephotographer A post shared by Kristian (@kristianlainephotography) on Feb 9, 2020 at 10:07pm PST
Project Manta
Established in 2007, Project Manta is a multidisciplinary study of manta rays that aims to provide much needed biological and ecological information on the species in Australian waters. The organization posted about the pink manta after underwater photographer Kristian Laine captured it on camera.
What is the cause of this unusual color?
Researchers have also investigated the cause of this manta's pink coloring. "There has not been a thorough investigation into diet or stable isotope analysis, but given the stability of the white "birthmark" and pink colour over time we think diet can be ruled out. The working theory is that it is just a different and very unique expression of the melanin, but that is still to be confirmed." said Asia Armstrong of Project Manta. They also stated that they were a bit curious because they have never seen anything like it in Australia before.
An aquatic ecologist Solomon David, at Louisiana's Nicholls State University, thinks that the mutation is a condition called erythrism, which causes an animal's skin pigmentation to be reddish, or in some cases, pink. Other more well-known genetic mutations to an animal's pigment can make them melanistic (black) or albino (white).
