Extremely rare pink manta ray captured on camera

An extremely rare pink manta ray was photographed by Kristian Lane near Lady Elliot Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

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The pink manta ray, is a creature so rare that it is almost mythical and stands in a row with the yeti or the unicorn. Well, almost! It differs from the aforementioned two in that a select few who have been incredibly lucky enough to meet it have documented the existence of this unusual creature with cameras and camcorders.

Information about the encounter of the pink manta ray is very rare. Fortunately, recreational dives are usually conducted in larger groups and there is always at least one person who has a camera ready to use. As a result, there is a good chance that someone will document such an encounter.

Extremely rare pink manta ray from Lady Elliot Island

The latest news of the appearance of an unusual pink manta ray and stunning photographs zooming in on its silhouette and unique coloration was provided by Kristian Lane. The photographer was incredibly lucky and encountered the animal while diving near Lady Elliot Island, on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Although, as it turns out, he only noted the unusual nature of the whole situation after the fact….

After the dive, I felt confused. When I was going through the photos on my camera right after that encounter, I looked through the viewfinder and thought it was strange that one of the mantas looked pink. I was in the middle of a group of mantas consisting of seven pieces. Actually, I thought my lights had played a trick on me, making the mantas look pink. It wasn’t until later that day that I saw a picture of a pink manta on a board on Lady Elliot Island. I felt amazing because it occurred to me that I was so close to – recounted his encounter Kristian Lane

Interestingly, for local residents the extremely rare pink manta ray is a well-known creature. Although local residents call Lady Elliot Island its home, encounters with it are extremely rare. The first documented encounter with the unusual manta ray occurred relatively recently in 2015.

Initially, it was thought that the manta’s pink color might be the result of an infection. Over time, researchers gathered around The University of Queensland’s Project Manta came to a different conclusion. It turns out that the unusual color is due to the melanin in the animal’s skin.

Photo: Kristian Lane