An extremely rare giant manta ray that weighs two tons was spotted swimming calmly just off the Great Barrier Reef.
Branded Inspector Clouseau due to its pink looks, the manta ray has a wingspan of 23 feet and is believed to be the rarest in the entire world thanks to its evenly spread pink color.
As photographer Kristian Laine explained, he encountered the majestic animal near Lady Elliot Island, whereas the manta ray in question was only spotted a few times in the last decade.
As Laine revealed, experts aren’t sure about what caused the manta ray to develop pink color and there are several theories behind Inspector Clouseau’s looks.
“I have read multiple different answers, they have analyzed a sample of his skin and they have changed their theories many times and still don’t seem to know for sure,” Laine said.
“I think the latest theory is that it’s some sort of a genetic mutation causing a pink of melanin to be expressed.
“It is very rare because I think there has only been around eight to 10 sightings since the first sighting in 2015. I felt amazed afterwards but also felt like when I was in its eye level I felt like he was smiling at me.”
As the Finnish photographer added, he was even lucky enough to get close to the manta ray and be able to touch it in one instance. Before taking off, Laine had spent some 20 minutes swimming with the gentle giant.
What are your thoughts on this story? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to SHARE this post with your family and friends and follow us on Facebook for more news and stories!
Replaced!