Georgia Aquarium adds 9-foot manta ray

The Georgia Aquarium announced Monday it has added a 9-foot wide manta ray to its collection, its first big “wow-factor” fish in more than a year.

The world’s biggest fish tank said the fish, named Nandi, was introduced in the tank over the past week to make sure she would acclimate to the new environment.

JOHN BAZEMORE / AP

Nandi the manta ray glides past through the water at the Georgia Aquarium

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“She’s doing really well,” aquarium spokesman Dave Santucci said.

Santucci said Nandi is the first manta ray in a U.S. aquarium. She is twice the size of the sting rays that swim throughout the aquarium. Manta rays can grow to an average of 13 feet across, Santucci said.

Nandi is the first of a number of new fish that interim aquarium Chief Executive Officer Mike Leven said he wants to add quarterly to draw visitors. The fish tank opened to explosive numbers its first year, but crowds have fallen to an anticipated 2.2 million this year.

Leven said the aquarium has to give visitors a reason to come back with animals and exhibits that have a “wow factor.” No new large, showy fish have been added since four new whale sharks after the deaths of original whale sharks Ralph and Norton.

The aquarium also has opened an exhibit of Titanic artifacts — the first in an aquarium — as part of the effort to boost visitation.

Santucci said Nandi comes to the aquarium from uShaka Marine World in Durban, South Africa, where she lived for more than a year after being rescued from nets meant to keep the country’s coast safe from sharks. She came to Atlanta because she had outgrown her tank at uShaka.

“They rescued and rehabilitated this animal,” Santucci said. “They donated the animal to the Georgia Aquarium with no strings attached. They did it because they believe in what we’re doing here.”