Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
For the first time, researchers have documented Galapagos sharks scraping against manta rays in an effort to clean themselves. The scraping behavior isn’t out of the ordinary, but the sharks using manta rays is new.
This footage was captured in the Revillagigedo Archipelago, a remote marine protected area in the eastern tropical Pacific in 2024 and 2025. The sharks mosly scraped their heads, gills and other areas known to have more external parasites.
Some manta rays handled the scraping well, while others tried to activley avoid it.
Video credit: Vinesky et. al 2026.
#oceanlife #mantaray #shark #ocean #science
For the first time, researchers have documented Galapagos sharks scraping against manta rays in an effort to clean themselves. The scraping behavior isn’t out of the ordinary, but the sharks using manta rays is new.
This footage was captured in the Revillagigedo Archipelago, a remote marine protected area in the eastern tropical Pacific in 2024 and 2025. The sharks mosly scraped their heads, gills and other areas known to have more external parasites.
Some manta rays handled the scraping well, while others tried to activley avoid it.
Video credit: Vinesky et. al 2026.
#oceanlife #mantaray #shark #ocean #science
