DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Incredible photos of a pink manta ray, the only one known of its kind

Mar 11, 2020 by Dunja Djudjic 1 Comment

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

I find photos of the underwater world fascinating even when they show creatures we can easily see while diving. But what about photos of rare sea creatures? So rare, that there’s only one known in the world? Well, Kristian Laine was lucky enough to photograph a pink manta ray, a creature so unique that it’s believed to be the only one in the world.

While Kristian was diving and taking photos at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, he saw the creature passing next to him. Interestingly enough, he was confused at first, thinking that something was wrong with his camera. “I actually thought my strobes were playing up, making the manta look pink,” he told Australian Geographic. But no, the camera and strobes were just fine – it was indeed a pink manta ray that swam next to him. He took the opportunity to take photos of it, and they soon became viral. I’m not surprised at all, I mean, how many people have seen pink manta rays, even in photos?

According to National Geographic, this male pink manta ray was first spotted in 2015 and it usually appears in the waters around Lady Elliot Island. He even has a name: Inspector Clouseau, and I find that pretty charming! Scientists say that Inspector Clouseau has been spotted fewer than ten times over these five years, so Kristian was incredibly lucky to be there with his camera. And he admits that this was exactly how he felt.

But why is Inspector Clouseau pink? Australian research group Project Manta has been studying the animal since it was first spotted. The group’s scientists first had the theory that the pink hue comes from a skin infection or as a consequence of its diet. However, researcher Amelia Armstrong managed to take a skin biopsy from the famous animal, and the initial theory turned out to be wrong. The current Project manta’s theory is that the color comes from a genetic mutation in the manta’s expression of melanin.

As a photographer, I believe Kristian was “humbled and extremely lucky,” as he puts it, to be there at the right place at the right time, and to have his camera. But as a viewer, I felt thrilled when I first saw these photos. I’ve never seen a creature like this, and it looks simply incredible. And Kristian’s photos sure expressed its beauty even more. You can check out more of Kristian’s work on his website and follow him on Instagram and Facebook.

[via PetaPixel]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

The Incredible Story Of A Well Known Photographer Who Kept His Homelessness Secret Fujifilm will launch 33mm f/1 autofocus lens, the first of its kind The dunes are a newly discovered kind of aurora – and we have unseen photos Every camera manufacturer runs some kind of ambassador scheme, somehow they don’t really represent women

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: Kristian Laine, manta ray, pink manta ray, underwater, underwater photographer, underwater photography

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.net

About Dunja Djudjic

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

« Update: The Photography Show has been postponed [New dates announced]
Breaking: NAB 2020 in Las Vegas has been cancelled »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Learn photography

Recent Posts

  • Nikon announces Zf shortage (Surprise!)
  • Finally! Sennheiser EW-DP SKP plug-on transmitter offers 32-bit float recording
  • Photographing an abandoned Italian villa: A time capsule of history and mystery
  • The Tascam DR-10L Pro is an unclippable 32-bit float personal audio recorder
  • This year’s Nature TTL POTY winner puts global warming right in our faces

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy