Truth often lurks in the shadows. And in no place is this truer than the depths of the sea. Its shimmering surface covets a world of magnificent life below … like baby burritos.
Yes, you read that correctly.
When these baby burritos (AKA manta ray pups) finally emerge after 12 to 13 months in the womb, they gently unfold their wings and begin their underwater journeys. Unlike mammals that typically suckle their young, manta rays hatch and develop their offspring within the womb, giving birth to fully independent pups that immediately glide away.
While it may seem like a desolate start, manta rays — sometimes called “devil fish” because of their cephalic fins that resemble horns — are a highly intelligent fish species with long-term memory capabilities and one of the largest brain-to-body size ratios of any sea creature. They demonstrate complex behaviors, including communication, social bonding, learning and problem-solving, along with navigation using sight and smell. Coupled with the fact that some species grow to an astonishing two tons and 30-foot wingspan, there’s little need to worry about their ability to manage (outside of threats by larger predators and human activities).
In fact, they are known to work together and with other sea species throughout their impressively long lives that average between 30 to 50 years. When searching for food, they often form chains or swim in circles to trap their prey, like plankton and other small fish.
But not all of these tiny fish become a meal for the cloaked species (fun fact: manta rays get their name from the Spanish word for blanket; manta). Cleaner wrasse, for example, feeds on manta rays — not consuming their flesh but rather the parasites, dead skin, and algae that grow upon the gentle giants. Manta rays frequent these reef cleaning stations, patiently hovering for up to an hour as both parties enjoy the benefits of their symbiotic relationship.
If you’ve ever spotted a manta ray from above, or even leaping out of the water (an unexplained action called breaching), you know it’s an incredible sight to behold.
But it’s the view from below that has us especially infatuated — so much so that we framed it in rose gold (or rose gold prongs and sapphires to be exact).
The unique opal in our Truth in Shadow opal necklace captures the very essence of the ocean’s secret world … and a rare sight called a manta eclipse. The mesmerizing scene transports us to the depths of the sea, and allows us an upward view of the manta ray’s graceful wings as they momentarily eclipse the sun that shines through the twinkling bioluminescent surface.
