The Oceanogràfic Foundation’s rescue team assists a two-meter manta ray after it strands in Cullera

• The veterinarians have stabilized, hydrated, and transferred the animal to open waters

• The total number of strandings of this species on the Spanish Mediterranean coast exceeds twenty specimens, and new cases have been recorded in France and Italy

On Friday, the Oceanogràfic Foundation’s rescue team assisted a 2.2-meter manta ray (Mobula mobular) in Cullera that was stranded on the beach. After an initial intervention, the veterinarians stabilized the animal and reintroduced it into the sea with the support of a jet ski from the lifeguard service.

After receiving the notice through the 112 Emergency telephone number first thing in the morning and activating the Valencian Community Stranding Network, the technicians and veterinarians of the Oceanogràfic (CACSA – GVA) applied the marine fauna care protocol. They hydrated the animal, administered medication, and collected biological samples for analysis.

In addition, they placed a visual tag on it to be able to identify it in case of new stranding episodes.

In recent weeks, there has been an increasing number of mobula strandings on the Spanish coast. According to the first available data, the total number of cases already exceeds twenty, and others are being documented in coastal areas of France and Italy.

Similarly, the Foundation maintains a monitoring line and collaborates with national and international institutions to analyze the possible causes of this phenomenon, which could be related to environmental, oceanographic, or anthropogenic factors.

The Mobula mobular is listed as an “endangered” species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).