Sculpture - Manta Ray (Whitsundays)

The indigenous name for Manta Ray is Manguna. Common name "Manta" is Portuguese and Spanish for mantle (cloak or blanket). Adriaan collaborated with traditional owner Arthur Gabey to fashion a surface design with a traditional Ngaro theme of a dreamtime story. The design includes 74 different sized circles which represent the 74 islands in the Whitsundays. There is a serpent on the Manta Ray's wings and its "U" shapes are the Aboriginal symbol for people. Mantas are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Areas where Mantas congregate are popular with SCUBA diving and snorkelling tourists. By Adriaan Vanderlugt in collaboration with Arthur Gabey. More information [Whitsunday Reef Recovery Project](/map_data/artefacts/diving-whitsunday-reef-recovery-art-project.pdf).