Manta Pacific Research Foundation

The Manta Learning Center in Kona, Hawaii is celebrating it's first year with a week of festivities and fun. In 2014, Keller and Wendy Laros, co-founders of Manta Pacific Research Foundation, worked with marine life photographer Bo Pardau and the Cultural Director of Sheraton Kona, Lily Dudiot, to bring a vision to life - The Manta Learning Center. This center is located at the Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa in Keauhou on the island of Hawaii and features large manta images,

The end of June we visited Hawaii for the fourth time during the last five years. The goal of the research expedition this year was to collect tissue samples from wild manta rays as well as to observe and document their rapid coloration change. The expedition started out rather exciting, I had three flights to get to Kona, to the Big Island and the first two planes had mechanical issues so the trip started very stressful. My first plane turned back from the runway while we we