Dancing with Giants: Lessons from the Oceanic Manta Ray
The night I swam with the giants of the sea was a night I will never forget (created in Canva)
Within minutes of the fiery red sunset that sent hues of yellow and orange into the cloud layer, the world beneath the sapphire sea began to come alive. The rock beneath the ocean had the beginnings of a small coral patch that attracted a few species of fish, but it was a proverbial desert compared to the vibrant kaleidoscope I had seen in Honaunau Bay and Captain Cook.
As a business professional constantly seeking inspiration from unexpected sources, I found myself about to experience a profound lesson in strategy and mindfulness from an unlikely teacher: the oceanic manta ray.
I had taken a Manta Adventure Night Dive from Honokohau Harbor manned by Captain Cory and his crew, Mariah and Christian. We crossed the choppy sea along the Kona coast to an area just offshore from the airport. Planes came and went, and I sent a salute to the plane winging away in honor of my father. He had been a Hawaiian Airlines captain for many years. I couldn’t help but think about the irony of the winged aircraft flying above the surface while waiting for the giant winged mantas to appear below. I wondered how many times he had seen the glow of the manta swims as he took off on night flights from this airport.
As the sun sank, the crew lowered surfboards outfitted with lights and rigged with plastic PVC pipe frames around the edges for us to hold onto. We were cautious not to kick deeply and risk kicking the mantas as we entered and used a pool noodle to keep our feet on the surface of the water. For the next hour we watched an otherworldly dance of the most graceful giant I have ever seen.
I expected the glow of diverse phytoplankton, but what I did not expect was for the manta rays to glow themselves. It was an illusion, but brought out the details of their graceful curves. The mantas are not bioluminescent, but have naturally shiny skin that reflects the light and creates a soft glow in the water. Four or five giant mantas were feeding beneath me at a time, rising from the bottom and barrel-rolling to capture the diverse array of tiny creatures. They came within inches of me, and I hoped to feel a slight brush. Mantas are not dangerous, and it was surreal to watch them so closely, while forbidden to touch them. Their size varies, but these gentle giants can grow up to 30 feet long and weigh up to 6,600 pounds. I felt like an observer of a magic show reserved only for those who can pause to appreciate the glory of a scene not many ever witness. I highly recommend the experience if you ever get the chance. As with many of the best memories of our lives, the experience wasn’t cheap but was also priceless.
Like many magnificent creatures that only bear one or two young every few years, they are endangered due to overfishing and getting caught in fishing nets and garbage near the shore. They bear one pup after 13 months of gestation. According to our badass crew member, Mariah, each pup weighs about 200 pounds and is expelled “like a t-shirt cannon” at birth.
Environmental pollutants endanger these beautiful creatures, like they endanger us. Manta rays that consume microplastics harboring pollutants suffer from short-term negative effects such as the reduction of bacteria in their guts, and long-term effects including pollutant-induced weakening of the population's reproductive fitness over future generations. This could negatively affect population levels of the rays in the future (Germanov, et. al, 2019).
Microplastics—plastic particles less than five millimeters in size—have become pervasive in the environment and are now recognized as an emerging threat to human health. These tiny fragments originate from the breakdown of larger plastic debris (secondary microplastics) or are manufactured intentionally for use in consumer products like cosmetics and cleaning agents (primary microplastics). Human exposure occurs primarily through ingestion (contaminated food and water), inhalation (airborne dust and fibers), and, to a lesser extent, skin contact. Once inside the body, their small size allows them to cross biological barriers, enter the bloodstream, and accumulate in organs—including the brain. Stay tuned - I’m planning on a future post doing a deeper dive into the cognitive impacts of microplastics.
Mariah also told us that mantas are quite sentient with a “sixth sense” that allows them to detect electrochemical activity like a heartbeat, showcasing an awareness of their environment that far exceeds our human perception. Their perception is so acute that they are reported to get quite curious about pregnant women, and it is thought they can hear the baby’s heart rate as well.
Intelligence Beyond Measure
What struck me most wasn't just their size or grace, but their remarkable intelligence. These creatures possess one of the largest brain-to-body size ratios in the marine world, demonstrating self-awareness through mirror tests—a trait shared by only a handful of species on Earth. (McDermott, Amy, 2017) Their brains weigh up to 200 g (five to ten times larger than a whale shark brain but still less than the 1300 g human brain). Their intelligence might not be fully understood, but I certainly experienced a level of awe that impacted my view of the world.
The Midnight Ballet- Insights from Nature's Graceful Performance
Caught in our routines, we often chase abstract measures of success that are simply human constructs. Reality for these creatures is a beautiful dance in a web of creatures that cycle energy in a world foreign to human constructs. Each moment counts where their massive greatness relies on a vast array of tiny creatures that fuel it. It is a demonstration that reminds me to pay attention to the small things that make life glow. To be present and remember the gifts all around us.
Perhaps true intelligence is simply being able to pass the mirror test with deep self-awareness as I dance with wings through the water full of small gifts too tiny to see in the daylight. Perhaps taking time to recognize the value in all things great and small is the secret to the next great innovation, true happiness, and a life worth living.
One thing is certain.
The night I swam with the giants of the sea was a night I will never forget.
I know many of you follow me for cognitive business insights. These gentle giants can teach us so much so here are my initial takeaways:
The Oceanic Executive: Business Wisdom from the Manta Ray’s Playbook
4 Ocean-Inspired Insights for Business Excellence
Adaptive Intelligence Manta Rays possess highly developed problem-solving abilities and can quickly adjust their behavior based on environmental changes. The human-installed lights in the harbor attracted their primary food source and they adjusted their feeding behaviors to take advantage of this bounty of plankton.
Why it Matters: Market conditions and customer needs change rapidly in today’s business environment.
Cognitive Business Skill: Strategic Agility and Market Intelligence
Synchronized Movement & Team Dynamics - During feeding, multiple mantas coordinate their movements in precise patterns, creating efficient feeding currents without collision. Why it Matters: Modern Businesses require seamless cross-functional collaboration. Cognitive Business Skill: Team Coordination.
Resource Efficiency- Mantas use minimal energy while feeding, creating efficient water flow patterns to maximize nutrient intake.
Why it Matters: Resource optimization is crucial for sustainable business growth and profitability.
Cognitive Business Skill: Operational Optimization.
Collaborative Networks- Mantas often gather in groups at cleaning stations, forming mutually beneficial relationships with smaller fish.
Why it Matters: Modern business often depends on building and maintaining effective partnerships.
Cognitive Business Skill: Strategic Partnerships.
By adopting these manta ray-inspired principles, businesses can develop more fluid, adaptive, and efficient operations while maintaining strategic focus and team cohesion. The key is to implement these features systematically while maintaining the flexibility to adjust based on results and feedback.
Like the manta ray's graceful movement through complex ocean currents, business success comes from combining powerful capability with elegant efficiency.
Sources
Germanov, Elitza S.; Marshall, Andrea D.; Hendrawan, I. Gede; Admiraal, Ryan; Rohner, Christoph A.; Argeswara, Janis; Wulandari, Raka; Himawan, Mahardika R.; Loneragan, Neil R. (2019). "Microplastics on the Menu: Plastics Pollute Indonesian Manta Ray and Whale Shark Feeding Grounds". Frontiers in Marine Science. 6: 679. doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00679.
McDermott, Amy (25 July 2017). "Manta ray brainpower blows other fish out of the water". Oceana. Retrieved 9 February 2019.