WATCH: Huge manta ray swims under paddleboarder at Honeymoon Island
DUNEDIN, Fla. (WFLA) — Local drone operator John Yanchoris captured a rare sight Saturday evening: a huge manta ray swimming underneath a paddleboarder.
John said a marine biologist helped him identify it as a reef manta ray, one of the largest ray species in the world, and not common in Florida.
This one was spotted off Honeymoon Island at around 8 p.m. Saturday.
The reef manta is only beaten by the giant oceanic manta ray, whose wingspan can reach almost 30 feet wide.
Reef mantas are mostly found in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific Ocean, usually in more shallow water than their giant oceanic counterparts.
Their wingspans can reach up to fifteen feet, and the one captured by John looks to be almost the length of the paddleboard, which are usually between 10-12 feet.
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