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Manta Ray

Maker Valerie Taylor (born 1935)

Subject or historical figure Valerie Taylor (born 1935)

Date1953-2000

Object numberANMS1463[864]

NamePhotographic slide

MediumColour transparency film

DimensionsOverall (inc carrier): 50 × 50 mm

ClassificationsPhotographs

Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Valerie Taylor in memory of Ron Taylor

Terms

DescriptionThe order Batoidea includes stingrays, skates, electric rays and shovelnose rays, which are all large cartilaginous fish. Though closely related to sharks, skates and rays have distinctive morphological, physiological and behavioural differences – most notably they have flattened bodies with enlarged pectoral fins that are fused to their head. They can be found across the ocean with most living on the seafloor, feeding on fish, molluscs and crustaceans. SignificanceValerie has a special connection with animals and this is best seen in her photography of marine species. As an accomplished photographer alongside her husband’s underwater filming, they have an amazing catalogue of films and images they created together. Valerie’s imagery has been published across books and magazines around the world. She has numerous prestigious honours for her contributions to conservation by using these pictures to help promote the importance and protection of the animals she has dived with and gotten to know firsthand. Valerie’s photographs also give you an intimate viewing into her career. Her images take you behind the scenes of filmmaking, epic seafaring journeys to remote spots and for many locations, capturing marine ecosystems often when they were much healthier than what can be seen today.