“Rushing past like a freight train." Diver films unusual manta chain in Great Barrier Reef 

A wildlife photographer in the southern Great Barrier Reef was delighted when a manta ray courtship ritual unfolded right before his eyes.

Keelan Priscott visited Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort in the middle of manta ray season, saying “there are mating chains everywhere.”

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In one video shared on Instagram, Priscott filmed four manta rays twirling around each other in an elegant dance. “I was lucky to witness the chain end of one where they formed this manta ball,” he says. 

But he noticed something unusual about this bundle of rays: it looked like there were two males and two females in the group. 

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Usually, courtship trains like this one are led by one female with several males in hot pursuit. “As many as thirty males line up head-to-tail behind the female as she swims at great speeds, twisting and turning around the reef, even leaping from the water,” writes Manta Trust on its website.

“These courtship trains are amazing to watch as the procession of rays snake through the water, often rushing past like a freight train within inches of divers’ heads as the female tries to shake loose the less persistent of her pursuers.”

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Having two females in the group is rather odd. Priscott wasn’t sure why this might have happened. “All I can say is it’s super cool!” he says. 

With the help of Project Manta – a research project from the University of the Sunshine Coast that manages a database of manta rays from citizen science sightings – the four rays were later identified. 

“Their names are Mark, Carlos, Florence Hilda May and Renata,” Priscott adds in the comments.

Manta rays have unique markings on their tummies that can be used to tell individuals from each other. “If you get a belly shot of a manta, make sure to send it in,” he says. 

Image and video credit: filmed by wildlife photographer Keelan Priscott (@keelanp_photography) at Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort

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