Collaborative research puts mantas on the map in the Philippines
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY— a new collaborative scientific study led by the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) and in cooperation with partners and the public has compiled a national population database for manta rays and has identified four hotspots for the species in the Philippines.
Read MoreExperience True Exploration - LAMAVE Partners with the Philippine Siren
LAMAVE and the elegant Philippine Siren team up once again to bring divers right to the heart of conservation and exploration.
Read MoreMalaya the Manta celebrates #WorldMantaDay in style!
This is not how Malaya the manta thought she’d be spending the first-ever World Manta Day. She thought she’d be out and about mixing with the people and celebrating her species with the amazing communities she knows in the Philippines. But, COVID-19 happened, and well, we all know what that brought – social distancing – home offices, but she gets it, and she is happy to play her part to help curb the global pandemic….
Read MoreTravelling off the beaten track in search of Manta Rays
LAMAVE has been studying rays in the Philippines since 2012, initially in Bohol but more recently in Masbate, where an underwater seamount is proving to be one of the most important sites for manta rays in the country…
Read MoreA Whole New World
My girlfriend and I took a year off to travel around the world and we wanted to volunteer with a few conservation organisations along the way. We jumped on the opportunity as soon as we heard of LAMAVE. We could tell that this experience would shape what we will do for the rest of the trip. And for good!
Read MoreRUV Life
I was moments away from booking my long-awaited holiday to Sulawesi when I saw the call for volunteers for the pilot manta project at Manta Bowl on the LAMAVE facebook back in 2017. I dropped everything, sent an email straight away and intentionally didn’t even “Like” the post to avoid drawing more attention to it until I knew I had the spot. (Please don’t judge me :D). I knew instantly I wanted to be part of the project! I love nudibranchs but I LOVE mantas!
Read MoreDiving into science
It’s close to 6 o’clock in the morning. The sun rose just as we left the diveshop. The captain shouts “50 meters”. I better get ready, weights, mask, fins, air is open, okay I am good to go. I look at my buddy “ok”. The captain shouts “10 meters”. I look at my buddy: “ready? 3-2-1 go!” Backroll into the fresh, chilled water….
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