This is the moment researchers freed a manta ray which was trapped in a net in Mozambique.

Nakia Cullain and Corey Nevels from Marine Action Research were on their way back from a dive near the beach of Zavora last June when they noticed a buoy moving in an unusual way.

"We grabbed the buoy and starting pulling the net into the boat when we noticed a large manta ray entangled in it," Cullain said.

"Immediately the two main researchers grabbed their scuba gear, jumped in and started cutting the net to set her free," Cullain added.

"At the end of the video, once the manta is released, you can see her swim back towards the camera. She did a circle around us to say thank you," Cullain said.

According to Cullain, fishermen in Mozambique often use gillnets in which rays, dolphins and turtles frequently get caught up.

"We were lucky to be in the right place at the right time to save this magnificent animal," Cullain concluded.

On the way back from a dive, researchers from Marine Action Research in Mozambique saved this entangled manta ray from a large fishing net. Had they not been in the right place, at the right time, this beautiful female manta ray would not have survived. Manta rays are threatened with extinction and the Mozambican population is declining rapidly. Well done to the rescue team!


Nakia Cullain
10:40 (34 minutes ago)
to newsdesk

Thank you for your email! Below are the responses to your questions.

1) In the video, two people are cutting a manta ray loose from a gill net. On the way back from a dive, we noticed a buoy moving in an unusual way. We grabbed the buoy and starting pulling the net into the boat when we noticed a large manta ray entangled in it. Immediately the two main researchers grabbed their scuba gear, jumped in and started cutting the net to set her free. At the end of the video, once the manta is released, you can see her swim back towards the camera. She did a circle around us to say thank you.

2) In the video there is Nakia Cullain (31) and Corey Nevels (23).

3) Zavora, Mozambique.

4) June 2018.

5) Volunteer Shaman Patel on a GoPro hero 5.

6) Local fishermen use gill nets as a form of fishing. Unfortunately these nets catch a lot more than just fish. They capture manta rays, whales, dolphins, turtles, and sharks as bycatch. These nets are one of the biggest threats to manta ray populations in Mozambique. We were lucky to be in the right place at the right time to save this magnificent animal.

7) This video has not been shared with any other licensing agency.

8) As a marine conservation organization, we have been collecting photo-IDs of manta rays for 10 years. Each manta ray has a specific spot pattern on their belly that we can use to identify each individual. The manta ray from this video was new to our database, meaning it was the first time we have encountered her in the 10 years we have been doing our research. We are hoping that we will see her again, healthy and happy. We named her Acaso, the Portuguese word for chance.