Meet the Manta Rays of Kona, Hawaii!
Since 1991, the Kona Manta Rays have been photographed and identified using their
unique spot pattern on their ventral (abdominal) side. The first Kona Manta Ray ever identfied was Lefty, and there are now more than 300 unique rays catalogued. Download the Manta Ray Tracker App from the iOS App Store, and get to know them!
With this App, you'll be able to:
- Download the full list of identified Manta Rays as well as Refresh the list by only downloading the recently added ones
- View Photos and Descriptions of each ray as well as view the recent sightings of each individual
- Lookup sighting information from each one of the regular night dive locations, as well as lookup when the "most" and "least" mantas were seen at these sites
- Lookup the Mantas by the individuals seen the most, and lookup the Users who have contributed the most sightings
Please contribute your own manta photos to our sighting database! If you can't identify it, we will help you figure it out if it's an acceptable photo. If you submit a photo of an unknown manta, you can name it and we will add it to the ID catalog. We also want to accumulate as many photos of each individual as we can with the idea that eventually we may be able to automatically recognize an individual from their photo.
Many Kona Manta Ray guides contribute their sighting information into the database, but we are always looking for more data. Ask your guide to submit their sighting information, or take some ID photos yourself and send those in. Whether the individual mantas are already identified, or you just have a total number seen, we want your reports.
You can create a location for your sighting anywhere along the Kona Coast. You can use the built-in GPS on your iOS device, you can use the built-in map to mark the location, or you can manually type in the GPS coordinates. You don't need an internet connection to create a sighting. You can create as many sightings as you want entering the specific information for each one, continue to fill out the information as needed, and then submit reports to us once you are back in internet range.
Contribute to our Research!
Crowd Sourcing Data Collection and Citizen Science contributions allow for a larger collection of data than is possible with a limited number of researchers. Help us create awareness of the plight of Manta Rays worldwide by studying our local Kona Manta Ray population. Help us with Research, Education, and Conservation of Manta Rays!
App gets the job done and lets you view and submit manta sightings so the manta pacific research foundation can better understand their numbers and behavior patterns. Mantas are amazing 11/10 would manta again!
Fantastic tool for citizen contributions to science
Hokehol
Great tracker for the mantas on the Kona coast. If this tool was utilized more in our community we would have a better understanding on the movement ecology of our Kona mantas.
Welcoming manta ray research into the app era.
Keller Laros
Great tool to easily add manta ray data into an easily searchable data base. I’m super happy to have it.
Mantas
T'es bête
I want to find Manta Rays in my area BUT it just goes to Honolulu!! I’m in the Mediterranean Sea and I want to save them here, the problem is that only Honolulan ppl can see so this is considered USELESS!! (except for Honolulu).
Developer Response
You are quite right! That's why the App says it is only for the mantas of "Kona, Hawaii". (Which is nowhere near Honolulu just FYI). We get millions of tourists from around the world coming to Kona, Hawaii to see the Kona manta rays. I suggest if you want to "save manta rays", you contact a local organization in your area or somewhere closer to you that studies Mobula rays. Would appreciate you changing your review to accommodate your mistake. Thanks!
There is now a new "Identify" feature! Provide the App with an image that includes a Kona Manta Ray, and it will use Machine Learning to try and identify which of our Kona Mantas it is. You will be shown a list of up to 3 possible individuals it could be with the percentage of probability. Use this information to tag your images in your sighting reports! The App is NOT 100% accurate so you will have to verify the identification on your own. The higher the number of images we have of an individual manta, the more likely the App will provide a correct result. So be sure to send us your great "ID" sighting images, *especially* if it does not accurately predict the correct individual.
All of the processing happens on the device, no network connection required. This means you can also use the App's Camera functionality to take a picture underwater, (let's hope you also have an underwater housing for your device first though) and you will know on your dive or snorkel which manta you are in the water with!
Version 2.0.1
The developer, More Mobile Software, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Linked to You
The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:
Contact Info
User Content
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
Location
Diagnostics
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
