During the event, a special local name "Ambu" was given to the manta translating to mango in Dhivehi language.
The Maldives celebrated the 1,000th 'Oceanic Manta Ray' sighting in the country's ocean territory last week.
Maldives Manta Conservation Program (MMCP), run by Manta Trust, a UK-based NGO working for the conservation of mantas, stated in a press release that the 1,000th oceanic manta ray sighting was most recently observed near Fuvahmulah City (the island in the second southernmost administrative atoll). MMCP further said that a special event was organized in collaboration with Fuvahmulah Council to commemorate this milestone.
During the event, a special local name "Ambu" was given to the manta translating to mango in Dhivehi language.
"Identifying this manta ray last night is a great achievement and progress in our efforts to protect species," the statement read.
The MMCP said that it identified the 1,000th manta ray last night based off of research done by the MMCP, information submitted by the public and information provided by dive centers.
The oceanic manta ray is an endangered species listed on the World Red List.
Therefore, the discovery of another oceanic manta ray in Maldivian waters, a species on the brink of extinction, has given hope to conservation efforts aimed at saving the species, MMCP said.
"The Maldives currently has the largest population of reef manta ray species. It also holds the record for the third largest population of various species of oceanic manta rays in the world," MMCP said in a statement.
MMCP has been operating in the Maldives since 2005.
Fauz Fathhee, RahCoordinator for RahVeshi Programme, which is part of the program, said, "We look at the pattern on its belly to differentiate the variety of manta rays. The pattern will be different for each manta ray," he said, adding that the pattern is similar to fingerprints in humans.
"We identified this 1,000th oceanic manta ray by taking pictures of these patterns on the manta rays belly by scuba diving and free diving," Fauz said.
Fauz said that the reason why Maldives is a special territory for oceanic manta rays remains to be ascertained. Unlike other locations across the globe where oceanic manta rays are common, their behavior in Maldivian ocean territory is drastically different. He added that the oceanic manta ray, which enters the country's marine territory, is commonly sighted for a day or two.
"Hence, it is believed that Maldives is a transit zone for these animals. Where these animals come from and where they leave to still remains unknown," Fauz said.
Sri Lanka is the world's largest fisher of manta rays. Statistics show that more than 1,000 varieties of manta rays are caught annually in Sri Lanka.
One of the things that MMPC and Fauz highlighted was the fear that the manta ray fishing in Sri Lanka could adversely affect the manta ray population in the Maldives.
Fauz said that oceanic manta rays travel long distances to mate and hunt for food.
"There is a distance of 1,000 km between Maldives and Sri Lanka. The chances for the oceanic manta ray travelling this distance are very high," he said.
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