

They may also breach to communicate, see the world above the sea surface, or maybe even just to play! We don’t know for sure why they launch out of the water, but it may be to remove parasites that grow under their wings, which are large, pectoral fins. From time to time you will see hahalua jump completely out of the water, up into the air just like a humpback whale may breach.
MANTA RAY TATTOO FULL
They usually mate on a full moon, and dozens of these large rays may congregate, but normally you tend to just see a couple of them together swimming along the surface of the open sea. They have a long, 10-month gestation period. Manta rays live for a long time, and only have one to two live babies every other year. It is quite an event to watch from underwater, but the rays are suffering some health problems due to having over 50,000 people a year in the water with them. The manta will do a very-graceful back flip underwater with their mouth open to scoop up millions of tiny shrimp for a meal. The manta rays show up to eat the shrimp, and divers underwater can watch the activity. Manta rays tend to feed at night, and on several dive sites on the main island of Hawai‘i boats will shine bright lights onto the sea surface, which attracts schools of shrimp. The manta rays are extremely peaceful and harmless to humans, as they do not have a stinger on their tail like most of their stingray cousins. They filter feed on zooplankton and shrimp, and when feeding they open their flaps to channel food into their mouths. Hahalua has cephalic lobes or flaps that surround its mouth. These rays have one of the largest brains of any fish in the sea, and they are semi-pelagic, which means they travel the open seas in search of food. The manta ray does not have bones, but has a cartilaginous skeleton, and that is why when it dies it is rarely fossilized for future generations to find. A chant was often given to the manta rays, and it goes as “huli i ke au hou,” which means “to begin anew in a new space and time.” The Hawaiians in the past would swim with hahalua when they needed to get back in balance with their lives, family or community. The Hawaiian name for the manta ray is “hahalua,” which means “two breaths,” and this gentle giant of the sea has a long history with the Hawaiian people, many of whom feel the manta ray represents wisdom, grace, strength and flow. It is easy to forget about your worries in life as you connect with nature at its deepest level. 1.When you dive with this giant, 3,000-pound ray that can have a wingspan of 15 feet, you often become very calm and peaceful. Essentially, the strength of these animals allows them to move through troubled water, so those above can do the same. Because of these mannerisms, people correlate the animal with emotional turmoil and the manner that humans are able to move through difficult times. These animals are known to move slowly and gracefully. For others, manta rays create a connection to human emotions in a very profound manner. Modern day Hawaiians believe that these creatures leap out of the water in order to fill the air with their experience in the sea and pass on knowledge that those above do not know yet. Believed to patrol the waters in a way that protects those on Earth, manta rays are a sign of power and ancient wisdom. Polynesians believe that the manta ray symbolizes spirituality and their guardians. The manta ray directly depicts cultural beliefs, especially Polynesian.

Though this may be the case for some, both ancient and contemporary cultures view sea life as representing everything that the human spirit possesses. People like sea creatures, so they allow them to be tattooed on their skin, essentially. Most imagine manta ray tattoos as well as other aquatic artwork as being simply a personal preference.
