Bring Florida’s Stolen Manta Home! 

Demand SeaWorld Return Her Back Home to the Wild and Urge FWC to End Wild Captures of Threatened and Endangered Marine Life!

In mid‑July, a viral video showing the capture of a giant manta ray off Shell Island, about a mile from Panama City Beach, Florida, ignited global outrage. The ray was captured by Florida Keys-based Dynasty Marine Associates for display at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi. In 2023, Dynasty captured two other manta rays for SeaWorld Abu Dhabi–one of which was euthanized in a holding tank before it could be shipped overseas. Florida is the only state in the U.S. that permits marine parks to capture wild manta rays for exhibition. Dynasty has already shipped the manta ray to SeaWorld Abu Dhabi where she will live the rest of her life in a tank, despite the fact that manta rays suffer in captivity. Her capture and transport across the world occurred without any opportunity for public comment. 

Giant manta rays are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and are listed officially as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), meaning they face a high risk of extinction in the wild. Despite this, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has not banned the capture of manta rays for public display–creating the loophole Florida used to approve the manta’s capture without public input.

Mantas can weigh as much as 5,000 pounds with a wingspan of 26 feet. Manta rays don’t do well in captivity–they’re open‑ocean animals that need large areas to swim. Nicknamed the “angels of the sea,” manta rays are highly intelligent, with the largest brain-to-body ratio of any fish. They may be capable of mirror self-recognition, and their brain regions are specialized for learning and communication. 

According to Local 10 News, Denis Richard, founder and CEO of Water Planet USA, said:

“We saw the wings of a manta ray and the manta ray was not hooked through the mouth,” he said. “So they must have snagged him. I would be in distress if I had a hook tied under my arm and people were trying to haul me up on a boat,” Richard said. “I mean he was in pain. That animal was in pain.”

Bipartisan lawmakers in Florida have called for change, and as a result, the state has temporarily suspended licenses for manta ray captures. As of August 19, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) halted new licenses for species listed under the Endangered Species Act. We’re thankful to the FWC for this measure and we applaud their ongoing review of this matter. But that’s not good enough. 

CALL TO ACTION:

We urge the FWC to include on its November 5–6, 2025, quarterly public meeting agenda a proposal to prohibit the issuance of Marine Education/Exhibition Special Activity Licenses (SALs) for the capture of manta rays and any other threatened or endangered marine species in Florida waters. 

We’re calling on SeaWorld to return the manta back to the waters of Panama City Beach, Florida, where she belongs. True conservation means protecting Florida’s precious marine wildlife—ensuring that species like the young female manta ray remain in their natural habitat, not captured from a declining population for commercial gain. 

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