Manta Ray Weathervane

Manta Ray Weather vane left wh

Manta Ray Weather vane right wh

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Manta Ray Weather vane left nh

Manta Ray Weather vane right nh

Manta Ray Weather vane lft sand

Manta Ray Weather vane rgt sand

Manta Ray Weathervane Swimming

In our all copper Manta Ray Weather Vane, Manta birostris, with its soaring out stretched fins, we’ve tried to capture the slow, elegant wing-like movement of their triangular pectoral fins as well as their distinctive broad heads, horn shaped cephalic fins (located on either side of their mouths) and elongated tails.

This weathervane was originally commissioned by a museum director in San Francisco who shared an extraordinary experience with a Manta Ray while on vacation in Hawaii. During a snorkeling excursion off the coast, she was swimming slightly away from her group when an eight-foot manta ray swam joined her. They swam together for about twenty minutes.

I could tell from talking to her that this was one of those life-altering experiences; something she wanted to commemorate. We made a small version of this weathervane, which she keeps on the desk in her office. Since then, we have crafted full size Manta Ray Weathervanes for customers with a banana plantation in Belize as well as for clients who experience Manta Rays in other warm water coastal homes and properties.

Manta rays are large eagle rays belonging to the genus Manta. Mantas can be found in temperate, subtropical and tropical waters. M. birostris migrates across open oceans, singly or in groups, while M. alfredi tends to be resident and coastal. They are filter feeders and eat large quantities of zooplankton, which they swallow with their open mouths as they swim. Gestation lasts over a year, producing live pups. Mantas may visit cleaning stations for the removal of parasites. Like whales, they breach, for unknown reasons.