Alright they aren’t winged. And we know what they are. But their performance is certainly unbelievable. If you’ve ever been to a beach or a lake, you have probably seen some sort of fish leap from the water – dolphins are common at the ocean, trout and salmon inland. Maybe you’ve been lucky enough to see the fin of a shark or even a whale.
But this video, captured by BBC, shows something very few people have ever seen in person: a group of giant Mobula Rays breeching the surface of the water and soaring through the air. They BLAST out of the ocean and seem to hang, suspended almost two meters in the air for a moment, before gliding back into the watery depths. And this isn’t just one or two – in the video there is a full school of rays!
As is the case with most fantastic displays, scientists say the reason these Mobula Rays are jumping has something to do with courtship. And dominance. Apparently when sea creatures breech the surface like this, the whole show – the jump, the air time, the SMACK as they land – is (usually) meant to scare off other dudes and beguile the ladies.
Check out the clip. Nothing like watching a good old alien-like mating ritual to spice up your day. It’s also very educational and pretty interesting, scientifically speaking.