(http://m.static.newsvine.com/servista/imagesizer?file=AdrienneMong6AEE59CA-AEDC-898A-9125-D2A05622D52D.jpg&width=600)By Rebecca Pilkington-VincettA feeding station popular with manta rays is not far from the Misool Eco Resort and Conservation Center in Raja Ampat, eastern Indonesia.By Adrienne Mong, NBC NewsRAJA AMPAT, Indonesia —They’ve been described by one scientist as “pandas of the ocean.”
“They’re such an iconic species, beloved by divers,” said Andrea Marshall, director of the Marine Megafauna Foundation (http://marinemegafauna.org/), who came up with the description during an interview with NBC News. “They’re just amazing.”
Unlikely as it might seem, the panda and the manta ray have a lot in common.
Just as scientists still haven’t been able to confirm the number of pandas (http://www.theinfostride.com/file:///C:/Users/v-brinlb/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/A1UY19XY/behindthewall.nbcnews.com/_nv/more/section/archive?author=AdrienneMong&nvo=100&27552360%7Ca%7Cnu%7C30%7C1%7Ct%7Ca%7C100=12) in the wild, they also have no idea how many manta rays exist.
NBCNews