Hello! My name is Briggs Cloutier. I just turned seventeen and call Morehead City, NC my home. I've spent all of my upbringing around water. First in East Timor or Timor-Leste, where I learned to fish and snorkel. Then in Angola, where my dad and I surfed, big-game fished, or free-dived every weekend. And most recently in Mozambique, where I've done all of the above but with the added attraction of getting to see big and rare marine animals with regularity. From the sea turtles guarantees of scuba diving the Ponta de Ouro area, to manta ray heaven in Zavora, to whale shark alley in Tofinho, and finally to Pomene, home to many resident leopard sharks, I've been fortunate enough to interact with and learn about these magnificent creatures. My dad and I have captured hours and hours of video, studying these guys to try to understand why they do the things they do.
My speciality of all these Mozambican specialities is the spotted eagle ray. While they live in most tropical waters regardless of geography, they remain difficult to interact with and difficult to see with regularity. My dad and I have found some interesting habits and I hope to undertake more appropriate scientific research after high school to put our observations and hypotheses to the test. Until then, it'll be just videos and photographs.
This is why my sister and I originally created Rays Unlimited, and now Sea NC. All marine megafauna, including manta and eagle rays, are some of the most fascinating and perhaps least understood animals in our oceans today. Often caught in nets or even deliberately fished for in some areas, their numbers are depleting. Organizations like the Marine Megafauna Foundation are not only researching these rays and sharks, but raising awareness about their conservation, and putting science to policy. It is our goal, my sister's and mine I should say, to do what we can - NOW - to help these organizations advance their mission, and have some fun with the things we love to do in the process. We'd love to hear from you and learn more about what interests you. Email me and let me know!
