🐟 Fishy Friday: The Manta Ray: Intelligence and Support
Manta rays are gentle giants, with wingspans reaching up to 23 feet and weights of up to 5,000 pounds, yet they glide through the ocean with balletic grace. Despite their size, they feed on some of the smallest prey, zooplankton and tiny fish, by filter feeding. They swim with their enormous mouths open, using specialised structures called gill rakers to strain food from the water.
What makes manta rays extraordinary is their intelligence. They have the largest brain-to-body ratio of any fish, with complex, folded brain structures similar to dolphins and primates. They are curious and playful, often approaching divers and appearing to recognise individuals. Mantas regularly visit cleaning stations where smaller fish remove parasites and dead skin. They queue patiently for their turn, demonstrating remarkable patience and understanding the value of support. They have even been observed performing barrel rolls, somersaults and breaching out of the water seemingly for play. Each manta has unique spot patterns on its underside, allowing researchers to track individuals, and they are one of the few animals that have passed the mirror test, suggesting self-awareness.
💡 What we can learn:
Intelligence includes knowing when to seek help. Despite their size and power, manta rays regularly visit cleaning stations, understanding they cannot do everything alone. The smartest leaders know that asking for help, accepting feedback and allowing others to support them is not weakness, it is wisdom. Even the mighty need their cleaning stations.
What is your cleaning station, and are you visiting it regularly enough?
With the help of my brilliant friend and colleague Allison Ross, AI-Powered Learning & Transformation Architect (aka the Geek Goddess), I’ve created a short quiz to reveal your inner marine creature.
Give it a try here Which Marine Creature do you embody?
#FishyFriday #LearningFromNature #LeadershipLessons #Intelligence #Support #SelfAwareness