Why mobula rays burst out of the water into the air is still an open question for scientists. Yet, it's almost undeniable that these rays, which include some manta rays, are hard to ignore when they fly through the air.
What happened?
In a recent social media post, the ocean conservation group Oceana (@oceana) spotlighted this interesting marine behavior.
The post from Oceana, which has now logged more than 200,000 views and 17,000 likes, explains, "Mobula rays have wing-like fins that allow them to launch out of the water, earning them the nickname 'flying rays!'"
As Oceana puts it in the caption, "It's uncertain why they jump, but it may be to rid themselves of parasites, evade predators, communicate, corral food, or even just for fun."
To put the magnitude of these animals' display in perspective, mobula rays can grow to be nearly 17 feet wide, making their breaches out of the water spectacular. And when they jump, they can go nearly six feet above the surface of the water, according to National Geographic.
Making the acrobatic displays more incredible, mobula rays often synchronize their jumps, with several breaching at the same time. The sound of the animals leaving and re-entering the water reportedly sounds like the popping of popcorn kernels.
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Why are mobula rays important?
According to Oceana's video's accompanying webpage, the mobula ray known as the spinetail devil ray is critically endangered. The IUCN Red List categorizes them like that because of how targeted and incidental fishing have harmed them.
Wildlife clips like this help spread awareness about these beautiful animals. And a video like this can also serve as a reminder of how much scientists are still learning about the ocean.
Scientists' uncertainty about the reasoning behind these rays' behavior is one example of the many questions people still have about the world around them.
In this case and many others, marine research could answer those questions. And that knowledge could help people take better care of wildlife and ecosystems.
What are people saying?
Many people in the comments loved seeing the rays jump.
"We saw they guys on a sunset cruise off of the point of Cabo San Lucas. So cool!" one person said.
Another commenter exclaimed, "I LIVE FOR THESE CREATURES OMGGG."
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