Lady Elliot Island is home to a truly remarkable visitor — the world’s only known pink manta ray, affectionately nicknamed Inspector Clouseau.

This rare reef manta (Mobula alfredi) was first spotted by LEI staff in 2015, stunning everyone with its unusual pink colouring caused by a natural genetic mutation. Just weeks later, Project Manta researchers were lucky enough to encounter the ray and collect a small tissue sample for scientific study.

Almost exactly a year later, Inspector Clouseau returned, and since then has been seen only a handful of times, making each sighting a special event.

The most recent confirmed sighting was in June 2025, thanks to a quick-thinking diver who shared their photo with the Project Manta team.

This ongoing story highlights the power of citizen science, where everyday ocean lovers contribute directly to real research and help track the movements of these ocean giants — even the rarest among them.