Every foot of a manta ray weighs approx 70-100 pounds. These guys are HUGE! A fully grown Alfredi manta ray, which are the ones you see in Hawaii, can have a wingspan up to 12-14 feet wide. The newborn then begins its journey to becoming one of the biggest fish in the ocean. Immediately after birth, the mom and baby part ways. They are born knowing fully how to be a manta ray. When mantas ray pups are born they are all wrapped up in their little wings like an adorable little manta “burrito”. Their main predators in the wild are large sharks, killer whales, and false killer whales. This slow reproduction rate doesn’t do a lot to help the numbers of manta rays in the ocean. After birth, in the wild, manta rays can live between 40-80 years. Females usually give birth to 1 or maybe 2 rays at a time. A manta ray takes between 10 – 15 years to reach sexual maturity, and can only have pups every 4 years. They have a gestation period that lasts 13 months. This means that the females produce eggs, but instead of laying the eggs, the eggs develop within the mother’s body. While other rays dig or burrow in the sand to hide from predators, manta ray only goes down there to get cleaned. Pretty much all of the fish in this category are flat fish that like to stay close to the floor of the ocean. This is due to the fact that both of their skeletons are made out of cartilage instead of bone. They are actually related to sharks because both of them are part of the Elasmobranchii subclass. Manta Rays are actually considered fish just like salmon and trout, but they also find themselves in several other unique categories. If you want to have a personal encounter with them, you can always schedule a snorkeling or diving tour to see them in person. Here are some interesting facts about these gentle giant, the Manta Ray. Once you see these giant creatures, you will see why that nickname is very apparent. I plan to help grow and further develop the program to be it’s very best,” he said.The word “Manta” is a Spanish word which translates to “cloak”. I’m looking for ward to meeting athletes, parents, and community members over the coming months. “My family and I are very excited to be joining a community that takes strong pride in their team, pursues competitive and personal excellence, and imagines more. Logan will begin his new role b y focusing on the Age Group program and will serve as the Lead Senior Prep coach. Logan will be moving from Columbus, Indiana, with his wife and their newborn baby. Logan graduated from Indiana University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and a minor in Psychology. Logan was selected as the USA National Team Coach in 201 4 – 20 – 2016. Logan attended Indiana University where he spent one year swimming collegiately and three years as a volunteer coach. For the past five years, Logan served as the Head Coach of Donner Swim Club and prior to his time with Donner, Logan served as the Head Coach for Columbus North High School in Indiana. New to the organization, Mason Manta Rays Head Age Group Coach Logan Schaefer ’s background is with Donner Swim Club, Columbus North High School and Indiana University. I am so blessed to be part of such a great team and community and look forward to our program’s future growth and success,” she said. “I’m really excited about this new role with the Mason Manta Rays. Trish will continue coaching the three groups she currently coaches and will expand in her new full – time role by overseeing the Developmental Age Group program. Her three daughters have participated on the Mason Manta Rays team and her perspective as a parent has provided valuable insight over the last 12 years serving the City of Mason. Tris h has the unique ability to teach the fundamentals of competitive swimming while keeping the practice and competitive environment fun for athletes. Her efforts in developing athletes in multiple practice groups has helped to elevate the Mason Manta Rays program and their recognition as a highly competitive team on both the regional and national level. Trish also has extensive experience working with young students in a school setting, particularly with children with special needs. Trish Schoenlein has been coaching swimming for 30 years and has been instrumental in developing the younger Mason Manta Rays athletes for the last 12 years.
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