The Story Behind Manta Ray Consulting’s Moniker
Manny, founder of Manta Ray Consulting (MRC), and Pamela Abela, are accomplished and passionate scuba divers with over 1,000 dives and more than 20 years of experience exploring the world’s oceans. They encountered many manta rays along the way, and the sea creatures left an inimitable impression, so much so that it led the Abelas and MRC co-founder Jeff Chan to name their company after them. Each year, the Abelas return to the high seas to study, observe and photograph their muse.
What are manta rays?
Rays are cartilaginous fishes distinguished by a flattened disc body, long tail, five-gill openings and winglike pectoral fins. Of the rays, manta rays are the largest: They have an impressive wingspan ranging from 11 to 29 feet (8.8m), and giant manta rays can weigh up to 5,300 pounds.[1] In 2008, researchers discovered two distinct species: the reef manta ray, which inhabits the Indo-Pacific coastlines, and the giant oceanic manta ray, which is found worldwide but prefers deep, open waters far from land.
Manta rays are characterized by their two horn-shaped fins crowning their heads—a notable trait responsible for their nickname “devil fish.” But manta rays are anything but devil fish. The beautiful filter feeders glide serenely through water, sifting and feasting on rich zooplankton and krill through their gill plates.
Photo Credit: Pamela Abela
What do manta rays and project management have in common?
In their years’ long study of manta rays, the Abelas discovered that the peaceful species and project management share some common characteristics:
Intelligence: Manta rays have the largest brain-to-size ratio of any cold-blooded fish.[2] Studies show that manta rays can create mental maps of their environment through smell and visual cues, indicating highly developed long-term memory.[3] Project management, for its part, requires high attention to detail and memory recall. Like manta rays, project managers are unique in their adaptive intelligence and acumen.
Lifespan: Manta rays can live up to 50 years.[4] Additionally, manta rays do not show the wear of their age—their graceful acrobatic feats remain youthful and inspired. They possess a type of energy most relatable to that required of project management: an enduring and resilient spirit. After all, earned value management projects can stretch for decades, demanding incredible patience, stamina and endurance.
Threats: Unfortunately, the greatest threat to manta rays is overfishing.[5] Thousands of manta rays are killed each year for their plates in a trade estimated to be worth $30 million.[6] The devastating effects of commercial fishing are compounded by the fact that manta rays are slow to reproduce.
While the severe threats against manta rays are not comparable to those faced in project management at scale, project management professionals can find inspiration in how the solution is being managed. Under the Endangered Species Act, there is active recovery planning and implementation to protect manta rays. NOAA Fisheries has developed a recovery outline to serve as an interim guidance document to direct recovery efforts, including recovery planning, for the giant manta ray until a complete recovery plan is developed and approved.[7]
It is not hard to understand why manta rays inspired the choice of the company’s name – or why they continue to inspire Manny and Pamela Abela today. The majesty and tranquility of manta rays are symbolic of what project management aims to achieve.
[1] Giant Manta Ray. 2019. “Giant Manta Ray.” Oceana. 2019. https://oceana.org/marine-life/sharks-rays/giant-manta-ray.
[2] “Manta Ray | National Geographic.” 2019. Animals. August 22, 2019. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/facts/manta-ray.
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[7] Fisheries, NOAA. 2021. “Giant Manta Ray | NOAA Fisheries.” NOAA. July 8, 2021. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/giant-manta-ray#conservation-management.