S3 E11: Befriending Giants: The Secret Lives of Manta Rays

Professor Kathy Townsend knew she wanted to be a marine biologist from the age of five, and completed her very first dive in a frozen Canadian lake. But it was the moment a five-metre manta ray draped its tail over her shoulder like an affectionate cat that she knew she had truly found her calling.

Since then, Kathy has followed manta rays around the world, appeared in a documentary with Sir David Attenborough, and even been swept into a swirling manta-ray feeding vortex. She greets her favourite mantas with a wink, and some even come to her for toothbrush scratches.

But these intelligent and gentle giants are under threat. In this episode, Kathy shares the magic of manta rays, the mysteries scientists are still trying to solve, and why the race to understand and protect them has never been more urgent.

We just HAD to make this a bonus-length episode because Kathy has SO many incredible stories about mantas which are absolutely not-to-be-missed!

Thumbnail Image: Professor Townsend collecting a DNA sample with a toothbrush. Photo by Amelia Armstrong.

Submit manta sightings: Project Manta

Prof Townsend's book: A Field Guide to the Vertebrates of Lady Elliot Island, Great Barrier Reef.