ENTRY DESCRIPTION
The ethereal beauty of manta rays cannot be overstated. Mantas move like they're a combination between a ballet dancer and a fighter jet. In addition to their unparalleled grace, they have big, complex brains and are considered to be intelligent and self-aware even by human standards. They use rapid color changes to communicate with each other and display behaviors that indicate a high level of social intelligence akin to that of dolphins, elephants, and chimpanzees. To have the pleasure of sharing a moment of eye contact with a manta is to be forever changed in the best of ways.

AUTHOR
Alex Rose holds a B.S. in Biology, M.S. in Aquatic Biology, and has a wide variety of experience in the biological sciences. Alex is the Science Editor for Ocean Geographic Magazine, and the Managing Editor for Ocean Geographic Explorers (OGX). Alex is also a professional violinist, photographer, Explorers Club Fellow, PADI Divemaster, public presenter, and lover of all things aquatic. Her driving goal is to find ways to protect our world’s precious marine habitats through diving, writing, photography, education, and research. She founded Blue Ring (www.bluering.blue) at the beginning of 2017 in an effort to create a new method of ocean conservation accessible to and inclusive of everyone who wants to better understand and protect our seas.

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