New records have revealed that a Florida company snatched a rare manta ray from the wild and kept it in captivity until it had to be euthanized.Â
Last month a video of a Florida fishing group capturing a protected manta ray near Panama City Beach to be taken to SeaWorld Abu Dhabi went viral and sparked outrage.
In the video captured by Denis Richard, CEO of a dolphin swim tour company, five people on a white boat struggled to drag the endangered giant manta ray onto their vessel.
Now, new documents obtained by Orlando Sentinel detail how the Florida Keys-based aquarium supplier Dynasty Marine Associates captured two other manta rays in 2023.
One of the manta rays was euthanized after its health declined in a holding tank in the Florida Keys, according to the newly released documents from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.Â
The manta ray died at a Dynasty Marine facility before it got the chance to be shipped overseas, according to an email sent by Dynasty’s chief operation officer Frank Young to state wildlife officials.Â
It was an immature, moribund male manta ray, and the reason it’s health declined was not immediately clear, a report from marine biologist Stephen Kajiura from October 2023 revealed.
The other manta ray was successfully sent to the marine park along with 12 smaller lesser devil rays, the email said.Â
New records have revealed that a Florida company snatched a rare manta ray from the wild and kept it in captivity until it had to be euthanized (pictured: a manta ray off the Kona coast of Hawaii)
Pictured: SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, where the captured manta ray was set to be sent toÂ
Last month a video (shown here) of a Florida fishing group capturing a protected manta ray near Panama City Beach to be taken to SeaWorld Abu Dhabi went viral and sparked outrage
‘Overall, the animal appeared to be in good health, and there was no obvious reason for its demise,’ Young wrote.Â
‘I was not able to directly observe the animal prior to my arrival, but was told that it was swimming and feeding normally for several weeks and then experienced a dramatic decline in a short period of time.’Â
Other overseas aquariums are seeking to acquire the species from Florida’s waters, according to Tampa Bay Times.
State wildlife officials have granted licenses to the Nausicaá Centre National de la Mer in France, Chongqing Andover Ocean Park in China and another facility in the United Arab Emirates, The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi.Â
However, none of the aforementioned aquariums have obtained manta rays under the licenses issued over the past five years, according to wildlife officials.
The only US aquarium to showcase a giant manta ray is the Georgia Aquarium, which received a license.Â
A spokesperson for the aquarium in Georgia said it has no plans to acquire another one and its permit was revised to remove manta rays from creatures the business was seeking.
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi bills itself as the world’s largest indoor marine life theme park.Â
The aquarium is located on Yas Island and opened in May 2023.Â
Last month a video of a Florida fishing group capturing a protected manta ray near Panama City Beach to be taken to SeaWorld Abu Dhabi went viral and sparked outrage
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi (pictured) bills itself as the world’s largest indoor marine life theme park. The aquarium is located on Yas Island and opened in May 2023
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi and Dynasty Marine did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Daily Mail.
The giant manta ray – nicknamed the ‘angel of the sea’ – was listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 2018.
It has a wingspan of 26 feet and can grow to a whopping 5,300 lbs.Â
The exact population of giant manta rays left in the world is unknown, but Ecuador has the largest number with 22,000 in its waters.Â
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Rare manta ray snatched off Florida coast to become Sea World attraction DIES in captivity