The early lives of manta rays remain a mystery. This is possibly because most researchers tend to pay more attention to large adult rays than their pups.
But now, thanks in part to research conducted by our team, some of the secret lives of these pups have been revealed. Using photo identification, drones, satellite and acoustic tracking, we were able to discover how young reef manta rays use the famous touristy Wayag Lagoon in remote Raja Ampat islands, Papua, as their habitat to grow up.
