ID photos of marine life
Here at Ocean Dimensions we live and breathe ocean. It’s important to us to do as much as we can to help out with the conservation and protection of our incredible backyard.
One of the ways we help is by contributing to NGOs, for example: Manta trust, Olive Ridley Project, and Maldivian Whaleshark Research Program. By gathering important data, we help out with vital projects that are happening here in the Maldives. Whenever we go out for a snorkel or diving excursion, we keep an eye out for certain marine life and try to get ID photos.
Manta Rays
During manta season we are lucky enough to get plenty of manta sightings. We record every time we see them, along with the location, date, and weather conditions of the sightings. Every manta has different spots/markings on its underside, so we try to get shots of the manta’s belly. We then give this information to the Manta Trust so they can run it against their database to ID the manta.
Turtles
We also record every time we see turtles, along with location, date, and species. Getting ID photos of turtles is a little bit trickier as we need to photograph both sides of the turtle’s face and top of the head. This information is then given to The Olive Ridley Project.
New individuals
In the past couple of months Ocean Dimensions have identified two new individuals, one oceanic manta and one green turtle. There have only ever been 14 oceanic mantas recorded in the Baa atoll, so this sighting is extremely valuable.
What you can do to help
These organizations rely on everybody helping out where they can. Citizen science plays a huge part in the data collection for many NGOs. If you have any ID photos of manta, no matter where you are in the world you can send it here. Have you got any turtle ID photos? Please send them here. If you don’t have any ID photos that’s fine! You can always adopt; both Manta Trust and Olive Ridley Project have this option. By making a contribution you’ll get regular updates on your animal and in some cases, you’ll even get to name it!
