We've spent years living alongside manta rays here at Uepi in the Solomon Islands. We've photographed them, filmed them, swum with them and shared incredible encounters with our family, friends and guests — but until now, we never really knew what those encounters could tell us.
This week, we began something very special: the Uepi Manta Project.
With the help of marine scientists and conservationists, we're learning how to identify individual manta rays and record important information about them — from distinctive markings and injuries to sex, maturity and behaviour. We're also beginning to use stationary manta cameras to observe what happens at cleaning stations and other important sites when we're not in the water.
And perhaps most exciting of all, we have years of archival footage to go back through.
What began as memories of life on a remote tropical island may now become a long-term record of the manta rays that visit these waters.
We've already made some incredible discoveries — including recognising a manta we first encountered years ago, and a very special encounter that has left us with more questions than answers.
The more we look, the more we're beginning to understand just how important these waters may be to the manta rays that call them home.
And we're not doing this alone. Our visitors, divers, photographers and wider community can all potentially contribute observations and photographs as this project grows.
This is just the beginning.
🌴 Welcome to Uepi, a remote island in the Solomon Islands where we're raising our family, exploring the ocean, learning from the natural world and doing our best to protect the incredible place we call home.
#MantaRays #MarineConservation #SolomonIslands #IslandLife #Uepi #OceanConservation
📍 Where we are: Uepi Island, Solomon Islands 🇸🇧
www.uepi.com
💙 Support our adventures & conservation efforts on Patreon: patreon.com/TheIslandLifeofUs
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https://www.instagram.com/theislandlifeofus/ 
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