The popular beach of Illetes, in Calvia, is closed to the public after bathers spotted a large manta ray near the coast on Thursday afternoon. After receiving the alert, Calvia Local Police activated the protection protocol, which involves closing the busy beach to protect this endangered species.
Marine biologist Aniol Esteban from the Marilles Foundation has confirmed that in recent weeks there have been more than twenty sightings of manta rays off the Spanish Mediterranean coast, of which between four and five have been in the Balearics.
‘This is an exceptional phenomenon, as these fish live in the Mediterranean but further out to sea or in deep waters. At the moment, we do not know why they are approaching the coast,’ he explains. In the case of the manta ray spotted in the waters off Illetes, it was swimming in circles, which indicates that the animal is not well.
‘One of the hypotheses is that a virus or bacteria may be affecting the manta rays, but until the necropsies of these specimens can be carried out and the subsequent analyses completed, nothing can be confirmed,’ adds the marine biologist.
The mayor of Calvia, Juan Antonio Amengual, explained the importance of activating the protocol for the protection of this species while the technicians from the Palma Aquarium Foundation focus on observation to ‘find out how the animal is reacting’. For their part, both the Palma Aquarium Foundation and Marilles are appealing to the public to call 112 immediately if they spot any manta rays.
‘They are very large, majestic animals, and we ask that you call the emergency number, do not approach the animals or touch them, and do not return them to the water if they are on the sand,’ emphasises Aniol Esteban. The manta ray is an endangered endemic species and is commonly found in the waters of the Balearics. In fact, some conservation organisations suspect that there is a manta ray breeding ground in the waters of the Balearics. It cannot be ruled out that there may be more sightings in the coming days.