The water was murky and poorly visible, perfect for manta rays. After briefly observing them, I know from experience that there are more injured animals now than in the past. Four out of seven animals were injured. Two had fishing hooks and short leader lines attached to their cephalic fins. One had one on the left. Unfortunately, her left fin was incapacitated. It could neither furl nor unfurl. It was stuck and flapping awkwardly. The other had a large hook on its right fin. This one was able to have her fin held unfurled normally.
Manta three has a scar on her left pectoral fin that healed nicely. The scare resembled a forked stream that came together and made a tiny beach at the edge of her fin.
Manta four had an abrasion on the upper left side of her mouth. This could be from a collision with coral. They feed over shallow reefs and coral stumps here. If you watched them making tight turns and skimmed inches above sharp corals, you would see how easily one could get injured.
Those manta rays that were unfortunate enough to get hooked can be severely injured. Could people who fished from shore cast their hooks and lines into the water when manta rays were feeding nearby? We all know the answer.
