British Sign Language Glossaries of Curriculum Terms

BSL Marine Species Glossary - Manta Ray - definition

Translation:

Hello! I'm here in Cornwall and today I'd like to talk to you about the Manta Ray. Manta Rays can be found all over the world, in both tropical and temperate ocean waters. They have a large diamond shape with big swooping fins. Manta Rays are black on top and white on the underside - they are beautiful creatures. They normally like deep water and feed on Zoo Plankton which they scoop up and filter out as they swim with their large open mouths Sometimes, they'll repeatedly somersault out of the water to trap their food. Manta Rays are very intelligent - they have a good memory of the environments where they live. Sometimes they live on their own and sometimes in groups - they can live up to 50 years! The females are sexually active from around 8 to 10 years of age and will give birth to one, or two, pups every two years. When the pups are born they look like a smaller version of the adults and can live independently straight away. Manta Rays are very vulnerable and high on the conservation list - numbers have dwindled because of over-fishing for their meat and use in traditional medicines.

Manta Ray - definition in International Sign Language