KwaZulu-Natal diver, Michelle Carpenter, made a marvellous discovery just over a year ago when she came across shortfin devil rays using an area at Aliwal Shoal as a cleaning station, making this the only one of two known places in the world.
This festive season, locals and visitors to the South Coast will have the opportunity to dive with these creatures with the Devil Ray Conservation Dive launch.
“South Coast Tourism and Investment Enterprise (SCTIE) is excited to welcome the launch of this conservation initiative that will bring our tourists closer to the incredible marine life found here,” said CEO Phelisa Mangcu.
“This launch comes on the back of the Conservation Symposium, which was successfully hosted on the South Coast, attracting leaders in various conservation sectors. The preservation and protection of our wildlife and natural areas are a priority, and we’ll continue to support such impactful initiatives.”
Carpenter mentioned that this dive is something unique as these rays are harmless to divers and generally rare to see.
She explained that cleaning stations are areas on the reef where cleaner fish remove parasites or dead tissue off of a ‘client’ such as rays, sharks, fish and turtles. The cleaner fish gets a meal, while the client maintains health.
“These cleaning stations are areas where sharks and rays repeatedly return to, making them hotspots critical to protect for their conservation,” said Carpenter.
“One of the already famous cleaning stations on Aliwal Shoal is ‘Cathedral’, where spotted ragged tooth sharks, potato bass, and other creatures visit to be cleaned.”
To find out more about the Devil Ray Conservation Dive, contact crpmic001@myuct.ac.za
Divers will also receive a complimentary Mobula ray hand-knitted plushie, contributing to a local school having more marine biology-based activities. A small donation will also be made to the Clansthal Conservancy which has a monitoring programme off Aliwal Shoal, as well as contributing to acoustic telemetry research of devil rays to determine their movements in and outside marine protected areas.
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