D’Arros Island identified as key feeding ground for reef manta rays in Seychelles |17 March 2026

SOSF-DRC researcher, Dillys Pouponeau, retrieves the plankton net from the water to collect a plankton sample (Photo by Dan Beecham © Save Our Seas Foundation)

D’Arros Island identified as key feeding ground for reef manta rays in Seychelles

Compiled by Sunny Esparon

D’Arros Island in Seychelles has been confirmed as the country’s largest known aggregation site for reef manta rays, according to new research from the Save Our Seas Foundation D’Arros Research Centre (SOSF-DRC). The study, led by marine scientist Dillys Pouponeau and published in Frontiers in Marine Science, offers fresh insight into the feeding behaviour of these vulnerable animals and underscores the ecological importance of the island’s surrounding waters. This article draws on coverage written by Isla Hodgson for the SOSF website on March 3, 2026.