This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Giant manta rays can grow up to nine meters (30 feet) long with a disk size of seven meters (23 feet) across and weigh up to 2,000 kg (4,400 pounds). This size leaves them with very few natural enemies once they reach adulthood at around eight to 10 years old.
But giant manta ray babies, called pups, cannot rely on their size to protect them from predators that live in the open ocean, including several species of shark and orcas. Instead, the first study to focus on giant manta ray movement in Central America has shown that pups stay in safe coastal areas where food is available until they've grown large enough to face the dangers of the high seas. "We show that manta rays' lifestyle isn't a one-size-fits-all behavior.
Giant manta rays in Central America undergo a dramatic shift in space use as they mature," said lead author of the Frontiers in Fish Science study, Jeffry Madrigal-Mesén, a researcher and project leader of Mantas Costa Rica. "Juveniles remained strictly within shallow nearshore waters that serve as coastal refuges, but most of the tracked adults executed long-distance transboundary migrations along the continental shelf break into Central America." The team used a variety of methods for tracking and identifying mantas at five locations between 2018 and 2025. Acoustic telemetry, which uses underwater sound pulses, lets them monitor fine-scale movement of 59 individuals across coastal aggregation spots like cleaning stations.
Satellite telemetry, where transmitters track movement and behavior from a distance, was used to track large-scale movements of 12 individuals. Photo ID was used to identify individual manta rays. "If we hadn't used all three technologies together, we simply wouldn't have been able to piece this puzzle together," explained Madrigal-Mesén.
"Combining these tools turned fragmented data into a unified, undeniable story." The combined data set of more than 12,000 detections showed that young mantas—those with disk widths of around three meters (10 feet) or less—stick to shallow coastal refuges. These coastal waters provide pups with a safe place that doesn't overlap with predators' hunting grounds. There they can also find plenty of food and hiding spots, and rely on essential services provided by reefs, such as cleaning.
"Mature adults can rely on their massive body size and their ability to dive deep to evade threats. But juveniles don't have that luxury," said Madrigal-Mesén. "What is truly amazing is seeing how strictly young manta rays stick to coastal waters as long-term refuges.
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