Baby giant manta rays, or pups, remain close to coastlines rather than moving immediately into open ocean waters, where predatory threats are higher. Both outlets describe that adults can be extremely large—reaching around nine meters in length and about 2,000 kg—placing them in a different position once they mature.
In the sources’ context, the key difference is vulnerability: while adult giant manta rays have few natural enemies, pups do not have that size-based protection. Predators mentioned include sharks and orcas that operate in open-ocean habitats. Popular Science and Phys.org both frame the coastal shallows as a safer setting that supports early growth, giving pups room to develop while avoiding some of the dangers found farther offshore.
Overall, the coverage emphasizes habitat choice as an early survival strategy: pups use coastal areas to manage predation risk until they are large enough to face open-water life with fewer threats.
