These Giant Manta Rays Just Want to Hang Out

On October 5, the Mexican government announced its intent to create a new marine reserve in the Pacific Ocean, the largest protected area of its kind in North America.

Alejandro Del Mazo Maza, representing Mexico’s National Commission of Protected Natural Areas, announced the massive planned expansion of the Revillagigedo marine park at the Our Ocean conference in Malta.

The planned park will cover more than 57,000 square miles, a vast rectangle of ocean encompassing the four Revillagigedo Islands, small volcanic landmasses under Mexico's control that lie about 240 miles southwest of Baja California. The islands are uninhabited except for a small Mexican naval presence and were named a World Heritage Site in 2016 for their unique biodiversity (the reserve

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