The magic of manta rays: In convo with "Manta Man" Keller Laros

The Big Island of Hawaii is a go-to destination for adventure, from cloud-forest sanctuaries to fiery volcanoes. But one of the coolest things to do on the island's western Kona Coast is in the water: snorkeling and scuba diving with the majestic manta ray. 

There's no one more passionate about this gentle creature than Keller Laros. We chatted with the celebrated advocate and conservationist about manta rays in Kona, the rise of citizen scientists and how excited he is that more and more people are getting to hang out with mantas, too.

The "Manta Man"

Keller Laros has been fascinated by manta rays since his early scuba diving days in Kona.  In 1985 Keller became a Professional Association of Diving Instructor and has since logged over 14,000 scuba dives. In 1993, Keller and a group of local scuba tour operators created safety guidelines to protect both divers and manta rays. The main rule: Observe only – don't touch the manta rays!

In 2002, Keller founded the Manta Pacific Research Foundation to further his mission to save and champion this beautiful species and the waters they live in. Manta Pacific is a 501(c)3 non-profit whose mission is to pursue research, education and conservation concerning manta rays and the marine environment

"My message is to take care of our ocean – not just here and now, but for us, our children and our grandchildren," Keller says.

Gentle giants

The manta rays around the Big Island are predominantly the reef manta ray species known as Mobula alfredi. With wingspans reaching up to 12 feet, they are some of the largest fish in the world.  

Each manta ray has a distinct spot patterns on their undersides, similar to a fingerprint that can be used for identification. Manta Pacific has used these patterns to create a data base of over 330 individual manta rays identified in Kona Hawaii.

Night swimming with the mantas

The Kona Coast is one of the best places in the world to view these manta rays up close. You can do just that in Keauhou Bay, right in front of the OUTRIGGER Kona Resort & Spa.

You'll get to see the manta rays in action as they come to the surface to filter-feed on plankton. As snorkelers' flotation devices light up the surrounding plankton, nearby manta rays are drawn to the light and congregate for feeding time, and you'll get to float alongside them. 

You can also try daily manta ray viewings at dusk and talks at OUTRIGGER's Manta Learning Center, where you can discover their habits and habitats, what attracts them to the Kona shore and how ocean currents affect their patterns. And check out World Manta Day on September 16, 2023 with presentation by local, national and international experts on manta rays and the marine environment.

All in the family

In Keauhou Bay, there are currently a few hundred manta rays. Recent genetic research has found that while these strong swimmers could easily travel to different Hawaii islands, they stay close to home and rarely migrate across the deep channels between the islands: the equivalent of one female moving between island groups every 500 – 1,500 years and one male only about every 50-150 years. 

This has created a manta ray "family" in the bay. 

"Now, we're getting tissue biopsies to run DNA ... to get data points to figure out how different or close different populations are and to build a family tree: who's related to whom? Aunts, uncles, cousins?" says Keller. "In some parts of the world, they will travel more, but the Hawaii Island manta rays hang out here!"

Citizen scientists and sustainability

Big Bertha, photo by Bo Pardue

One of the well-recognized mantas is known as Big Bertha. Keller shares, "When I first met Bertha in 1991 she was already an adult. I saw her recently and she's the same size. She's probably 30 or 40 years old."

Citizens can contribute to the Kona Coast manta ray tracker app to share sightings and photos and to help follow these creatures' movements – currently, more than 300 unique rays have been cataloged.

Even cooler: if you're one of the first to discover a new manta ray (via the aforementioned unique spot patterns on their underbellies), you may get the honor of naming it! As Keller shares, one of the most recent citizen namings is Quarantina, named after, you guessed it, a sighting during the pandemic.

A bright ray future

With more people in the water, more GoPros and more citizen scientists, Keller states, there's also more awareness. The added support has been vital because manta rays face various challenges in their natural habitat, from entanglement in fishing lines to habitat degradation. 

The Manta Pacific Research Foundation also continues collaborating with local communities, dive operators, researchers and legislators to study migration and promote conservation efforts. And thanks to the passion and commitment to conservation from individuals like Keller, his contemporaries – and today's citizen scientists – Hawaii's Keauhou Bay mantas continue to thrive. 

"People come to the Big Island for the volcano and the manta rays," says Keller. "It's a huge draw. And that's why it's so important to take care of them and provide the best experience in Hawaii."

Check out more ways to get involved and stay in Kona to experience the majesty and magic of these gentle giants of the sea yourself.