Experts on the avalanche of manta rays strandings in the Balearic Islands: "Seeing them on the coast is like finding a polar bear bone in Mallorca."

PalmSince May, the Mediterranean coast has received around thirty manta rays (Mobula mobular) that have been stranded on the seashore. Of these, several have arrived on the Balearic Islands coast in recent weeks. In Mallorca alone, they have been located in Santanyí, Arenal, Illetes, and Cala Rajada; two specimens have also appeared in Ibiza, one in Sant Miquel and the other in Sant Josep. Most have died of exhaustion after trying to get stranded, or have had to be euthanized due to their condition. But what is the reason for this, according to experts, extraordinary number?

Although it's a native Mediterranean species, the manta ray is a deep-sea animal and shouldn't end up on the seashore. "It's an anomaly that's never been recorded before. Seeing a deep-sea fish on the coast is like seeing a polar bear in Mallorca," says Xisca Pujol, biologist and head of marine strandings at the Palma Aquarium Foundation.

Pujol is cautious about the causes of this phenomenon. The committee of experts analyzing it is still unclear. "There are many options on the table, and none are ruled out," he asserts, without losing sight of variables related to climate change. Along these lines, biologist Luis Señor attributes the appearance of stranded manta rays to warming seawater. "Although the exact causes of the avalanche of strandings are still unknown, the rising temperature of the Mediterranean is something that has multiple consequences for the marine environment," he lamented. Among its consequences, the expert points to increased acidification of the water as one of the most serious.

"This phenomenon lowers the immunity of many species and may have caused opportunistic bacteria to attack, as could be happening with manta rays. This is what has happened with mother-of-pearl rays, which have almost disappeared due to the attack of a parasitic protozoan," he noted. Likewise, the professor believes that the lack of plankton in the Mediterranean due to high sea temperatures could also be affecting manta rays, since they feed primarily on these small organisms. However, both scientists emphasized the importance of not approaching manta rays if found on the seashore and indicated that people should call 112 so that emergency teams can handle the stranding according to established protocol.