Misool Manta Project: collects population and behavioural data on vulnerable manta populations.

Established in 2011, The Misool Manta Projects’ key objectives are to study, educate, inspire and protect.

The Misool Manta Project teaches visitors to Misool, engages local community members, and conducts critical research on both Oceanic mantas (Manta birostris) and Reef mantas (Manta alfredi). The Project provides robust population data to the government, NGO’s, communities and conservationists.  This data has been leveraged to push the protection of mantas and ensure the long-term survival of these charismatic megafauna as well as their habitat.

program highlights

  • sightings of Oceanic mantas (Manta birostris) inside the Misool Marine Reserve increased 25-fold between 2010 and 2016

  • Size of Raja Ampat’s Oceanic Mantas population believed to be 1875 individuals

  • Possible existence of seven distinct sub-, or meta-, populations in Raja Ampat

  • 85% of sightings occurred in two of the seven Raja Ampat MPAs: Southeast Misool and Dampier Strait

  • 100% of the 11 aggregation sites that are used by both species were found in Southeast Misool MPA (most of these in close proximity to Misool Resort)

  • Magic Mountain in the Misool Marine Reserve was the most consistent site for observations of both species in the same place 

  • SE Misool identified as a courtship ‘supersite’ due to proximity of a chain of multiple reefs on which courtship behaviour is encountered (Magic Mountain, Batbitim, eastern Warakaraket, and Boo Windows)

  • Misool Manta Project made significant contributions to a new paper which has opened a window into the lives and behaviour of Raja Ampat’s reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi). The paper, ‘Natural history of manta rays in the Bird’s Head Seascape, Indonesia’ uses a bank of data that has been collected over a 15-year period. A large proportion of this has come from ID shots submitted by Misool’s guests.

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The Misool Manta Project's satellite tagging data has demonstrated that both Oceanic and Reef mantas leave the Raja Ampat Shark and Manta Sanctuary.  This information was presented to the national government of Indonesia, highlighting the need for nationwide protection.  Our data was also used to calculate the tourism potential and economic value of live mantas versus dead ones.  Thanks in large part to The Misool Manta Project's research, Indonesia created a momentous nationwide ban on Manta fishing and trading in 2014. 

Manta populations in Misool are of particular interest to divers as well as scientists.  This is one of the only places on earth where both species of manta can be seen at the same time, sometimes even interacting.  Mantas are a common occurrence on many sites within the Misool Marine Reserve.