A photographer in Australia has discovered the unique and exclusive Pink Manta Ray, capturing its image.
We have witnessed various animals in white and black variations, but have we ever encountered a pink one? Let us present to you the pink manta ray. Photographer Kristian Laine was fortunate to have the opportunity to capture images of the unique creature.
He stated that he was completely unaware of the existence of pink mantas, which caused confusion and led him to believe that his strobe lights were malfunctioning or behaving strangely.
The male manta, which can be found in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, has an average length of approximately eleven feet. This creature, commonly known as Inspector Clouseau, is given its name after The Pink Panther.
Its unique color is not a result of sickness or food, but rather a genetic variation that affects the way melanin is expressed. This phenomenon, which has never been observed on manta rays before, results in the pigmentation being shown as either red or pink.
To provide a different viewpoint, manta rays usually exhibit a uniform coloration, which could either be entirely black, completely white, or black with a whitish underside.
Although certain genetic mutations may increase an animal’s susceptibility to predators, specialists are confident that Inspector Clouseau does not face any problems in this regard because of his large size. Being the biggest among all rays, grown-ups can reach weights close to 3,000 pounds, hence it’s not surprising that they face minimal challenges in taking care of themselves.
Inspector Clouseau has unwittingly risen to internet stardom due to his distinctive coloring.
Laine considers the encounter with the pink manta ray as a unique and irreplaceable experience, which puts him in the exclusive group of individuals who have witnessed the remarkable beauty of this creature firsthand.
Laine expressed her feelings of being grateful and privileged, sharing with National Geographic that she feels a sense of humility.
Regardless of why Clouseau appears as a dusty rose color, Laine is simply grateful for being among the few who have had the opportunity to observe him closely. In general, he informed sciencealert.com that the experience was peaceful and allowed him to exist without disturbance. Afterward, when I comprehended the significance of what I had seen, I was astounded – I simply couldn’t fathom how extraordinary a moment I had undergone.