Manta Ray Shark Bites

My name's Steve Backshall, self-confessed shark-obsessed.

This is Shark Bites.

This time, we meet the most graceful fish -

the manta ray.

These gentle giants glide through our oceans like elegant gymnasts.

Mantas may look totally different to sharks

but they're in fact closely related.

The largest mantas reach up to seven metres

and use their extended pectoral fins to flap, fly

and glide through the water.

But why have they evolved such acrobatic moves?

A hotspot to find them is Hawaii's Pacific Ocean coast.

I can already make out some strange shapes in the darkness.

Oh, my goodness!

Look at that!

NARRATION: They may be big, but they're no threat to me.

Whoa!

NARRATION: Unlike their distant cousins, stingrays,

there's no sting in the tail.

What a phenomenal beast!

And they're everywhere! Oh, my goodness!

It nearly took my head off!

Their sleek physique means they're hydrodynamic, enabling them

to cut through the water with ease, somersaulting like gymnasts.

But to find out how they pull off these acrobatic moves

we need to get under their skin.

Like sharks, manta rays have a lightweight, flexible skeleton.

Instead of bone, it's composed of cartilage,

the same substance that's found in our ears.

One difference from sharks is their huge pectoral fins

that have evolved into these triangular wings.

While sharks use their pectoral fins for lift and steering,

the manta ray uses them to propel itself forward.

Just like a bird, it flaps these triangular wings,

creating a water whirlpool that gives it forward momentum,

making swimming appear effortless

and giving them their graceful moves.

And it's these graceful moves that allow them to feed so efficiently.

As they shoot towards you,

you're gazing down into this vast, open mouth

as it sucks up food.

Like some sharks, mantas are filter feeders,

feeding on tiny microscopic plants and creatures called zooplankton.

Performing these dizzying displays of balletic barrel rolls,

they make the most of these dense pockets of petite prey.

The manta ray - with its hydrodynamic design, flexible frame

and powerful wings to propel it forward,

it is certainly the most graceful fish in our seas.