Scientists filmed the creature swimming in the Eastern Pacific, near Costa Rica.
A pregnant reef manta ray has been spotted for the first time at the remote Cocos Island near Costa Rica, some 6,000km from its normal home.
The threatened species, which can grow up to five metres in length, usually lives in coastal waters, prompting scientists to question how this pregnant fish had come to roam so far across the open ocean.
Footage recorded by the Marine Megafauna Foundation in September shows the ray cruising through the ocean while visibly carrying its young.
Randall Arauz, of marine research and conservation organisation Fins Attached, said: “Reef mantas may travel several hundred kilometres, although they tend not to travel too far offshore.
“It is unclear how this individual could have steered so far off course, leading us to assume it was not intentional.”
The pregnant ray was found to be three-and-a-half metres long, or slightly smaller than a car.
It was fitted with an acoustic tag to track its movements and recordings have so far indicated it has stayed in the area.
Manta rays only give birth every two to five years and no-one has ever seen them give birth in the wild. Scientists will continue to monitor the manta ray’s movements to make sure it is not in harm’s way.
Dr Andrea Marshall, co-founder and principal scientist at the Marine Megafauna Foundation said: “I have been studying mantas for 16 years and they still constantly surprise me.
“This extraordinary sighting challenges everything we currently know about the migratory behaviour of this species and its ability to undertake long-distance movements across open ocean environments.”
The study, co-authored by scientists from the Marine Megafauna Foundation, Fins Attached, Pelagios Kakunja in Mexico, and CREMA (Centro Rescate Especies Marinas Amenazadas) in Costa Rica, was published in the journal Marine Biodiversity Records on March 20 2019.
With less than 24 hours left before the NHL trade deadline, a few Stanley Cup contenders in the Western Conference are not waiting until the last minute to get deals done.
The league-best Colorado Avalanche acquired center Nicolas Roy from Toronto, and the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights got center Nic Dowd from Washington. The Dallas Stars filled their final big need of a forward by acquiring Michael Bunting from Nashville, while the Minnesota Wild added veteran defenseman Jeff Petry in a swap with back-to-back defending champion Florida.
Edmonton general manager Stan Bowman expects to be done after a handful of moves, but in the East there are plenty of teams in the race who are eager to get something done before the clock runs out.
Following three consecutive trips to the West final, the Stars sent Mason Marchment to Seattle to change up their mix. On Thursday, they used the third-round pick they got from the Kraken in that trade to get a player who does a lot of the same gritty things in Bunting.
“Michael is a tremendous addition to our roster,” GM Jim Nill said. “His goal scoring ability mixed with physicality makes him extremely tough to play against. We are looking forward to seeing him on the ice in Dallas.”
Bunting, 30, has been traded at the deadline each of the past three years. Dallas got its veteran defenseman on Wednesday, Tyler Myers from Vancouver.
Colorado sent a conditional fifth-round pick this year and a top-10-protected first rounder in 2027 to the Maple Leafs for Roy, who fills a major void with significant size at 6-foot-4. Now 29, he helped Vegas win the Cup in 2023, when depth played a major role in that title run.
“He’s played pretty well for us,” Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said. “Tough to see him go, but that’s the situation we’re in.”
Roy should slide in perfectly as the No. 3 center behind leading scorer (at 100 points in 59 games) Nathan MacKinnon and 30-goal scorer Brock Nelson. The position was seen as the biggest need for a group that has been atop the standings since October.
Colorado previously added on the blue line with Brett Kulak and Nick Blankenburg.
Vegas got Dowd from the Capitals for a 2027 third-round pick, a 2029 second rounder and young goaltender Jesper Vikman, a little over six weeks after jumping the line before the Olympic break to pick up defenseman Rasmus Andersson from the Flames.
Dowd, 35, gives the Golden Knights a penalty killer and shutdown defender down the middle who can also chip in some offense. He has 16 points and 43 blocked shots in 55 games this season and is under contract through '26-27 at a reasonable cap hit of $3 million.
The Golden Knights could still target a goaltender. While the Avalanche have the best team save percentage in the league at .916, Vegas is second-worst at .880 between Adin Hill, Carter Hart, Akira Schmid and Carl Lindbom.
Minnesota's deadline week has been about getting better on the margins, first with fourth-line center and faceoff ace Michael McCarron from Nashville and now Petry, who's 38 and provides depth.
The price was just a conditional seventh-round pick that becomes a fifth-rounder if the Wild win two playoff series and Petry plays in 50% or more of their games during those rounds.
Buffalo and St. Louis had agreed to a deal that would send Colton Parayko to the Sabres, pending the defenseman waiving his no-trade clause.
Parayko on Thursday informed them that he was not waiving it, therefore negating the trade, a person familiar with discussions told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were private.
As part of the eight-year, $52 million contract he signed Sept. 1, 2021, Parayko received full no-trade protection through 2028. He is signed through 2030.
Ottawa got forward Warren Foegele from Los Angeles, sending a second-round pick to the Kings with the teams also swapping third-rounders.
After acquiring Foegele, the Senators then traded 37-year-old forward David Perron to the Detroit Red Wings for a conditional 2026 fourth-rounder. Perron has 19 seasons of NHL experience and returns for a second stint in Detroit, where he combined for 41 goals and 103 points in 158 games spanning 2022-24.
Vincent Trocheck remains with the New York Rangers, who decided to sit him and fourth-line center Sam Carrick against Toronto for roster management reasons on deadline eve.
After beating Toronto, they sent Carrick to Buffalo, according to a person familiar with the move. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the trade had not yet been finalized.
AP Hockey Writer John Wawrow contributed to this report.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
Washington Capitals center Nic Dowd (26) tries to get the puck past Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Akira Schmid (40) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Capitals' Nic Dowd (26) tries to face wash Montreal Canadiens' Kirby Dach (77) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Montreal, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)
