Nantwich is not noted for its links to the ocean!
But this week manta rays, the ocean’s gentle giants, will be making a rare appearance in the town thanks to a local expert.
The event is being held at the Black Lion on Welsh Row this Wednesday (April 16) at 7pm.
Nantwich resident, international conservationist and Manta Trust expert Kanina Harty will be giving the special talk about the graceful ocean behemoths.
It’s another free eco-event from local environmental action group Sustainable Nantwich.
Manta Rays are stars of the seas and have featured in ground-breaking wildlife documentaries such as the BBC’s Blue Planet II.
Kanina will be showing exclusive footage of the magnificent creatures and sharing amazing stories of her encounters with them.
She said mantas are totemic sea creatures with real charisma.
She added: “Reaching up to 7 metres in width and weighing up to 2 tonnes mantas are gentle creatures.
“They have the largest brains of all fish, and their intelligence and curiosity make encounters with manta rays a truly magical experience.
“What’s more manta rays are really important. They are massive but they eat the smallest of sea creatures – plankton. They are no threat at all to humans.
“But they are in trouble. Over the last few decades their numbers have plummeted due to overfishing and habitat destruction.
“And if manta rays are in trouble, everything else is too. They are an indicator of the health of our oceans.”
Kanina’s career has taken her diving with manta rays in Peru, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Seychelles and Maldives.
But Nantwich plays a quiet role at the centre of international conservation efforts.
“I have been working for the Trust for over a decade and am currently in charge of the global database for projects worldwide and help co-ordinate projects in Central and South America, all from my home in Nantwich,” she said.
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