Page 16 - Designing Ways 242

TRADE
WINDS

KZN diver discovers

‘cleaning station’ of

highly-endangered

devil rays at

Aliwal Shoal

liwal Shoal, one of two Marine Aliwal Shoal, which is located just 4 said that, while scuba diving has been

Protected Areas (MPA) on the kilometres off the coast of Umkomaas, the most useful tool in achieving
AKwaZulu-Natal South Coast, is is one of two MPAs found in this region. research tasks such as deploying remote
a world-renowned dive site attracting The other is Protea Banks, which is cameras to collect footage of cleaning
adventurers looking to swim with 7.5 kilometres off Shelly Beach. MPAs rays, and performing transects of the
hundreds of sharks of varying species have been established to keep marine reef communities including coral and
including blacktip and ragged tooth ecosystems working harmoniously fish, she prefers freediving for close ray
sharks. And while it certainly ticks the while protecting the ocean life under the interactions.
boxes on all shark divers’ bucket lists, National Environmental Management: “Sharks and rays have two additional
Aliwal Shoal has recently been found to Protected Areas Act. These two are home senses that we do not possess,” explained
home a number of the highly-endangered to a variety of big marine life such as Carpenter. “These are the lateral line which
shortfin devil rays which use the area as a sharks, whales, turtles, rays, king fish, detect water displacement, and ampullae
cleaning station. yellow fin tuna and barracuda. of Lorenzini which detect electric pulses.
Michelle Carpenter, a local KZN diver Commenting on shortfin devil rays in I find that the bubbles generated while
and PhD student specializing in sharks particular, Carpenter said it was a massive scuba diving often scares the ray before
and rays, discovered the Aliwal Shoal discovery to find them in such large it approaches you. In various freediving
devil ray cleaning station back in 2020: numbers, considering they are classified encounters I have been immersed by a
“At the time, I didn’t realise how many as ‘highly endangered’ along the southern school of 50 devil rays, hugged by a giant
rays lived in and frequented Aliwal Shoal. African coast. manta ray, nearly sandwiched by two
But I’ve been working on my project for “Some places, such as Tofo in barrel rolling giant manta rays, and been
over a year now, which means visiting the Mozambique, have experienced a face-to-face with spotted eagle rays. It is
site almost daily for field work, and have decline in sightings of these rays by more truly magical.”
been overwhelmed by the incredible ray than 90% over the past few years,” she Her freediving fieldwork is supported
diversity as well as the numbers being explained. “This makes the discovery at by Freediving South Africa, which is
encountered. In fact, Aliwal Shoal has Aliwal Shoal that much more important. owned by her partner, Kent Taylor.
even more diversity in terms of rays than But it’s not only the numbers of devil rays, Taylor has been freediving, spearfishing,
it does sharks.” it’s also the diversity of ray species that is and skippering boats his entire life, and
Rays, which are the dorsal-ventrally so astounding.” launched Freediving South Africa, the first
compressed, or flattened sharks, do not She said there are common sightings fully eco-dive business on the KZN South
always draw as much attention as sharks. of spotted eagle rays, honeycomb whip Coast in 2019. Michelle and Kent are
However, both sharks and rays actually rays, reticulate whip rays, leopard whip based primarily in Umkomaas, although
both belong to the cartilaginous group of rays, blue stingrays, bluespotted stingrays, they frequently travel to Sodwana Bay and
marine fishes called ‘elasmobranchs’. Jenkins stingray, round ribbontail rays, other South African locations to teach
Carpenter said this site is fortunate and even the critically endangered freediving and perform research.
to be home to one of the world’s first whitespotted wedgefish. Although not Michelle is supported by several scuba
discovered devil ray cleaning stations, seen as regularly, divers can also see giant diving operators, sponsors, and non-
following another such discovery at manta rays, reef manta rays, longhorn profit organisations, without which this
Bazaruto Archepelago. “Cleaning stations devil rays, the enigmatic and under- sort of research would not be possible.
are important areas on a reef where a studied bull rays, as well as the extremely These include the University of Cape
marine animal - such as a ray, turtle, rare bowmouth guitarfish. Town, Freediving South Africa, Agulhas
shark, or fish – will visit to have parasites Carpenter’s ocean-based research House Dive Centre, Marine Megafauna
removed or wounds cleaned by cleaner sees her using scuba diving equipment Foundation, ScubaCo Dive Centre, Blue
fish. These sites function as resting areas as well as freediving as a way to gather Ocean Dive Resort, and the Rufford
and mating grounds for hundreds of the necessary information while getting Foundation. dw
marine life species.” close enough to the marine life. She

16 Issue 242 • dw