Wetpixel Senior Moderator Shawn Heinrichs has premiered his new film on Vimeo. Entitled “Mantas Last Dance”, the film serves as a finale to the Manta Ray of Hope Campaign. This aims to raise awareness to the plight manta rays prior to the CITES meeting, which begins this weekend. At the meeting, 177 member nations will vote on whether to grant international protection to certain highly threatened and endangered species, which for the first time this year, includes manta rays. There is a petition that needs your support to pressurize the CITES delegates into protecting these animals so if you haven’t done so yet, please sign now.

Shawn and the crew put in 20 hour days for 5 days to get the above footage. You can see more about the making of the film below: