Do Mobula Rays Fly for Fun?

"Whoosh! Without warning, a mobula emerges from below the surface, its long flat body glistening in the evening light and whip for a tail trailing behind. Flap, flap, flap, maybe a somersault or two, and then smack! It happened again and again. Single flips. Straight-up belly flops. Double flips. I see a single mobula leap a few times in succession; others leap only once and then disappear. I witness mobulas partially emerging from the water, one third of the wingtip still immersed, and rotate around that tip. Sometimes, I don't even see that. All that is visible is the swirl of water left behind...

"...it's hard not to believe this behavior is not some manner of play — it certainly looks that way. Among fish, mobula rays have disproportionately large and complex brains. In fact, the weight of their brains relative to their body weight is comparable to many mammals.

"Some mobulids, manta rays in particular, are known to exhibit un-fishlike playful behavior amongst themselves and with human divers. Some of these creatures will seek out human contact and will approach divers to solicit attention, a scratch, or just apparently, to feel a diver's bubbles against their skin."

This is a magnificent mystery - this union between species at play. It causes in us awe, disbelief, maybe even humility. We are not alone in the ability to play. We are not the only beings capable of exuberance. Not the only creatures we can celebrate with. Not the only celebrators.