Fingerprint

Every manta carries its name on its belly.

The pattern of dark marks on the underside is the animal's own and no other's. It does not change as the manta grows, so a photograph of the belly is an identity card. In the Maldives, where researchers have been cataloguing these animals for years, a clear frame like this one can be matched to an individual with a history: where it was first seen, how often, with whom.

This one tilted as it passed over the cleaning station and showed the whole underside in one plane: both sets of gills, the cephalic fins folded, the tail, every spot. The fish around it are the cleaners, at work. Nothing about the moment can be repeated, and nothing about the pattern can be faked.