Divers are invited to celebrate World Manta Day in the company of top wildlife cameraman Doug Allan and UK conservation charity the Manta Trust at the Royal Geographical Society in London on 17 September.
The trust introduced World Manta Day in 2020, but because of the Covid pandemic “An Evening With Doug Allan” will be its first in-person event since that time.
Allan has taken part in more than 100 filming expeditions, 35 years of polar exploration and many on-screen firsts for documentaries such as Blue Planet, Planet Earth and Frozen Planet, and the trust says that the evening “promises incredible stories of adventure and unique wildlife encounters”.
it was Dr Guy Stevens, CEO and co-founder of the Manta Trust, who long ago introduced Allan to the Maldivian manta ray population. Since that time the cameraman has been a patron of the trust and an “enthusiastic champion of manta ray conservation”.
Guests will have a chance to meet Allan in the hour leading up to the 90-minute event, which starts at 7.30pm. They can also buy a signed copy of his new book Freeze Frame. Dr Stevens and mobula ray geneticist and Manta Trust trustee Dr Emily Humble will also be speaking and showing videos at the event.
Manta rays are threatened by fisheries, unsustainable development and tourism, and the changing climate that affects their food sources and habitats. The Manta Trust comprises a diverse group of scientists, educators, conservationists and media experts, working in collaboration with projects across the globe to drive mobulid research and conservation efforts as a collective.
Tickets to the event are on sale now at £15, or £10 for children and students, with all proceeds going to the trust’s global research, education and conservation work. Tickets can be purchased online through Ticket Source.
