This Ranger station will be manned by 4 rangers from local villages (2 at a time), with objectives to:

– designate a clear entry and exit for the site

– create ‘no-go’ zone for boats over and around the cleaning station

– limit the number of divers in the water and boats on the site at any given time

– establish a clear and enforceable code of conduct for human / manta interaction

This ranger station will also provide a checkpoint for all operators, whereby marine park tags of all divers and snorkelers can be checked.

The ranger station is located 50m from the manta cleaning station, with clear views and accessibility to the site’s drop zone and surrounding reefs.

All operators accessing the site will be required to report to the ranger station on arrival, show marine park tags, then dive/snorkel the site as per the official Code of Conduct. This regulation will ensure that tourism around the site is kept sustainable, impact on manta behaviour and aggregations are minimised, whilst still offering visitors a wonderful opportunity to view the manta rays cleaning and feeding.

Poor diver behaviour

This image shows divers getting too close to mantas in order to take a photo. With the increased number of divers/snorkelers visiting Manta Sandy, this behaviour happens too regularly and is disturbing the mantas natural behaviour at the cleaning station.

Poor snorkelling behaviour

This image shows a snorkeller touching a manta. During a manta interaction any diver or snorkeller should not touch a manta – this kind of behaviour disturbs the animal, and will likely cause them to leave the cleaning station. With a ranger station in place, interactions like this can be minimised and sanctioned as required.

Obtain feedback from recreational diving operations and tourists

An important means to evaluate efficiency of the ranger station is to obtain feedback from those that have used the new protocol. This year we will seek to obtain feedback from operators, divers, snorkelers and local community regarding their perception, understanding and knowledge of the Ranger Station, as well as invite their feedback regarding their experience of the station, and any ideas for improvement.

Upscale the ranger patrol to include nearby site Manta Ridge

The most recent manta season saw a rapid increase in the number of boats and divers diving at a nearby divesite, Manta Ridge – the topography and currents making it the perfect locations for mantas to aggregate and feed. Located 2km from Manta Sandy, this is a challenging dive site with strong currents, including rapid down currents to depths of 60-70m from the ridge/reef crest (where the mantas aggregate) straight down. It is not a site that is suitable for every diver, and requires knowledgeable guides and capable divers in order to manage it whilst staying safe. This less well known site has no regulations nor safety precautions, and needs immediate attention in order to implement maximum boat & diver numbers, not only to ensure safety and continued manta aggregation, but to ensure the safety of every diver in the water. During this off season, our Kader Mantas (manta rangers) will be trained and briefed on how to patrol this site from Manta Sandy.

An engine donated from SEA Centre and a long boat from RARCC for patrol

This year, as recipients of an innovation grant, SEA Centre was able to provide a boat engine to the rangers to enable them to more easily get to and from the post, and RARCC donated a long boat. Although the post is not far from 3 local villages, without a well maintained and properly serviced engine, the rangers cannot access the site as regularly as required, leaving gaps in the monitoring and management of the site.

4 jobs created for local community members

Esron, Naftali, Linus and Harun are fully employed by the Marine Park Authorities, with their salaries fully funded by the Marine Park Entry fee. This represents a model of conservation and sustainable tourism whereby local community members directly benefit from tourism, whilst contributing to better management of their natural resources.

Marine Park Tag Checkpoint

The Ranger Station serves as the first effective checkpoint for Marine Park Entry card in the Dampier Strait region, restricting access to Manta Sandy only to those that are in possession of a valid Marine Park card.

Ranger selection and training

A team of four rangers were selected from villages of Arborek and Kapisawor due to their close proximity to Manta Sandy. By selecting rangers from the local community a strong sense of ownership is fostered, with a natural inclination to protect their waters. Selecting local rangers also enables us to improve livelihoods through the creation of jobs funded directly by the marine park entry fee.

The Rangers are currently being trained by Conservation International and our SEA Centre team.

Ranger Station Operations Commence

On June 2nd 2017, the Manta Sandy Ranger station commenced operations. With training completed, the rangers will now regulate tourism activities, and check for marine park tags for anyone diving the site.

The Rangers

Local rangers from nearby villages of Arborek and Kapisawor man the station, in addition to managing tourism activities and behaviour, the rangers will record the number of boats, divers and snorkelers frequenting the dive site, and the number of tourists both with/without marine park tags. This data will provide valuable insight into tourism numbers, and enable better management of not only the site itself, but the wider Dampier Strait region.

Development Standard Operations Procedure & Diver/Snorkeller Code of Conduct

In collaboration with all stakeholders, a Standard of Operations for operators, and Code of Conduct for divers and snorkellers has been established.

All operators accessing the site will be required to report to the ranger station on arrival, then dive/snorkel the site as per the official SOP and Code of Conduct. This regulation will ensure that tourism around the site is kept sustainable, and the impact on manta behaviour and aggregations minimised, whilst still offering visitors a wonderful opportunity to view the manta rays cleaning and feeding.

Please see below for details and downloadable copies of the SOP & of Code of Conduct.