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Huge public response to BBC2 Natural World on Manta Rays

Posted on: November 29th, 2009

After the screening of our BBC2 Natural World, ‘Andrea Queen of Mantas’, hundreds of viewers contacted Andrea in Mozambique asking how they could help protect the rays.

 “The combination of revelation alongside a powerful environmental and conservation message seems to have really hit home,” says Big Wave director, Mark Woodward. “Viewers have been asking how they can help stop the trade in manta gill rakers for Chinese medicines, and how they can support the manta rays in Mozambique and the Maldives. It’s fantastic to see such a positive reaction, the film has really helped raise manta ray’s profile”. 

The films release coincided with Andrea announcing she’d found a new species of manta ray. The larger, giant mantas retain the name Manta birostris, while the reef-going mantas have been newly named Manta alfredi, in tribute to Alfred Whitley who first scientifically described manta rays in the 1930s

The film got an average of 2.4 million and a high, 10.9 audience share.

Audience responces: “It was a brilliant programme and very heart renching” – Dean Robinson, “This documentary was filmed beautifully” – Ali Goodyear, “The camera footage was excellent” – Suzanne, “It was amazing!” – Olivia Jaques, “I found it fascinating” – Mella. 

To watch the film click on BBC iplayer

To find out more about Andrea’s manta project in Mozambique visit http://mozmarinescience.googlepages.com/home . For Guy Stevens project in Maldives visit www.maldivianmantas.com .  Both projects are supported by www.saveourseas.com 

New Scientist.com / Guardian / Woman’s Hour / National Geographic / Daily Mail