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Oceanic manta ray spotted off Long Island coast in rare New York sighting

Nypost · · 173 words · By Fenix Suriel
Marine Biology Wildlife Sighting
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What to know about Marine Biology

Oceanic manta ray spotted off Long Island coast in rare New York sighting See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 5
Techniques found 1
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center67%
Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Oceanic manta ray spotted off Long Island coast in rare New York sighting See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

A majestic manta ray was spotted feeding in a rare sighting just off the coast of Long Island.

Common ground

Video shared by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation captured the rare sight of a massive manta ray gracefully navigating the waters of the Jones Beach State Park.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/24/us-news/oceanic-manta-ray-spotted-off-long-island-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 5 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4
verified Verified By Reference 1
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Claim 1: “Video shared by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation captured the rare sight of a massive manta ray gracefully navigating the waters of the Jones Beach State Park.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) shared video of a manta ray at Jones Beach State Park.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (informally referred to as NYSDEC, DEC, EnCon or NYSENCON) is a department of New York state government. The department guides and regulates…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Department_of_E…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — New York State Forests are public lands administered by the Division of Lands and Forests of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). New York State Forests are designated…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Forests
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYS OPRHP) is a state agency within the New York State Executive Department charged with the operation of state parks and hist…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Office_of_Parks…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 2: “Although manta rays inhabit tropical, subtropical and temperate regions, the DEC says they occasionally swim in New York waters during the warmer months.”
CORROBORATED
The claim is supported by both general biological facts from Wikipedia (manta rays inhabit warm temperate, subtropical, and tropical waters) and specific statements attributed to the DEC in multiple news reports.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Eloy Alfaro International Airport (IATA: MEC, ICAO: SEMT) is a joint use civil and military airport on the Pacific coast near Manta, a city in the Manabí Province of Ecuador. The airport, also known a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eloy_Alfaro_International_Airp…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Karina Manta (born March 20, 1996) is an American former competitive ice dancer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karina_Manta
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The XP-755 concept car, also known as the Mako Shark, was designed by Larry Shinoda under the direction of General Motors Styling and Design head Bill Mitchell. With the 1963 Corvette C2 design locked…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mako_Shark_(concept_car)
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 3: “A majestic manta ray was spotted feeding in a rare sighting just off the coast of Long Island.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web search results confirm a manta ray was spotted feeding off the coast of Long Island/Jones Beach.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York State, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both po…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Long Island City (LIC) is a neighborhood within the New York City borough of Queens. It is bordered by Astoria to the north; the East River to the west; Sunnyside to the east; and Newtown Creek, which…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island_City
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Long Island iced tea, or Long Island ice tea, is an IBA official cocktail, typically made with vodka, tequila, white rum, Cointreau, gin, and a splash of cola. Despite its name, the cocktail does …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island_iced_tea
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 4: “The magnificent sea creature can live up to 40 years and grow to more than 4,000 pounds, the department said”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While the provided evidence includes a Wikipedia entry on manta rays, it only mentions width/size (up to 7m), not lifespan or weight. The web search results for this specific claim returned irrelevant adult content and unrelated Wikipedia entries, providing no confirmation or contradiction of the 40-year lifespan or 4,000-pound weight.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Manta Rota is a small seaside town in the civil parish of Vila Nova de Cacela, municipality of Vila Real de Santo António, in the Algarve, Portugal. Manta Rota is an important tourist destination due …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manta_Rota
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Delfín Sporting Club, lit.'dolphin Sporting Club', is an association football club based in Manta, Ecuador. The club was founded on 1 March 1989 after Club Deportivo 9 de Octubre was ceded to a group …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delfín_S.C.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Manta rays are large rays belonging to the genus Mobula (formerly its own genus Manta). Three species are known: M. birostris, the largest at 7 m (23 ft) in width, M. yarae, which reaches 6 m (20 ft),…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manta_ray
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 5: “In the post, the DEC says Manta rays are filter feeders known for consuming large quantities of zooplankton closer to shore, but can also venture out to deeper water to forage for medium-sized fish.”
CORROBORATED
The claim that manta rays are filter feeders consuming zooplankton is verified by Wikipedia, and the specific detail about foraging for medium-sized fish in deeper water is corroborated by two independent news sources citing the DEC.
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web search NEUTRAL — Manta rays are filter feeders, using their large mouths to consume significant amounts of zooplankton. According to the DEC, the rays can also venture into deeper water to search for medium-sized fish…
https://www.foxweather.com/earth-space/video-rare-oceanic-ma…
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web search NEUTRAL — Manta rays are filter feeders as well as macropredators. On the surface, they consume large quantities of zooplankton in the form of shrimp, krill, and planktonic crabs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manta_ray
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web search NEUTRAL — As the DEC explained, the giant rays are filter feeders that consume large quantities of zooplankton when feeding closer to shore and can forage for medium-sized fish in deeper water.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/world-largest-ray-spotted-feeding-…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.