1

Manta Ray
Design and diagram info:
25 Jan 2008
Date:
Intermediate
Difficulty:
Time to fold: 45 min

I did a Manta scuba dive in

Hawaii, but unfortunately did
not see any of these majestic
creatures. But I learnt a lot
about them by reading up
before the time. They have a
wingspan of over 6.5
meters and a huge mouth
with gills underneath. They
also have peculiar large, flaplike lobes on either side of
their heads to funnel prey
into their mouths.
Starting off with the design, I
wanted an open mouth, so an
open sink from the center of
the paper would be the
logical choice. For as large a
wingspan, the fins would
come from two opposite raw
corners.
The rest of the design was
easy, as it was just a
proportion modification of an
earlier Guano Bat design.
This also allowed me to have
the fins split at the back
where they meet the tail,
forming a divide between the
two sides. This is an
interesting feature of this
design.
Forming the gills in steps 31
and 32 use unorthodox swivel
folds. The inside reverse
folds in step 52 can be tricky
to perform cleanly.

Crease Pattern:

Paper:

Body

Lobe

Lobe

Fin

Single Uncut Square

Size: 30 cm
Color: Black - Black
Type: Kami
OK
Best
Foil
Wet-Fold Good

Fin

Ratio: 0.64

Width

Mouth

Tail

1.

2.
Turn around.

Make sure to open the mouth

nice and big at the end when
shaping the model. Use paper
black on both sides for best
results!
3.

4.
middle of all four side together.

Copyright: Quentin Trollip

5.

6.

Valley Folds and Unfold.

Repeat behind.

Valley Fold and Unfold.

10. Valley Fold.

11. Valley Fold and Unfold.

12. Valley Fold and Unfold.

13. Valley Fold.

14. Swivel Fold on existing

crease. Flatten.

15. Swivel Fold.

16. Unfold the Swivel Fold.

8.

Inside Reverse Fold.

7.

9.

Copyright: Quentin Trollip

17. Unfold the raw point.

18. Repeat steps 8 to 17 on

the other three flaps.

19. Squash Fold one flap in

the front and one at the back.

20. Inside Reverse Fold the

two outer flaps.
Enlarge.

21. Valley Fold and Unfold on

existing crease.

22. Open up the model and

Open Sink the tip on
existing creases.

23. Squash Fold the flap up

on existing creases.
The model will not lie flat.

24. Squash Fold to flatten.

25. Repeat steps 23 to 24

behind.

26. Valley Fold three layers to

the right. Repeat behind.

27. Valley Fold and Unfold.

28. Inside Reverse Fold.

Copyright: Quentin Trollip

29. Repeat steps 27 to 28 on

the left.

30. Enlarge.

31. Valley Fold only the top

layer down.
See next diagram.

32. Swivel Folds.

33. Scale change.

34. Valley Folds.

35. Valley Folds.

36. Reverse Fold the two

inside flaps.

37. Inside Reverse Folds.

38. Turn around.

39. Repeat steps 23 to 24 on

this flap.

40. Mountain Fold into the

layers underneath.

Copyright: Quentin Trollip

41. Mountain Fold the raw

edge.

42. Enlarge.

43. Mountain Fold these

points.

44. Inside Reverse Fold.

45. Repeat step 44 on the

left.

46. Valley Fold both points up

perpendicular to the model.

47. Scale change.

48. Mountain Folds.

49. Asymmetrical Inside

Reverse Folds.

50. Inside Reverse Folds.

51. Enlarge.

52. Inside Reverse Fold.

Copyright: Quentin Trollip

53. Swivel Fold two layers.

54. Repeat step 53 behind.

55. Shape the eye.

56. Inside Reverse Fold.

57. Open the layers of the

point.

58. Repeat steps 52 to 57 on

the left.

59. Scale change.

60. Shape the fins, tail and

also open the mouth
underneath.

Manta Ray.

Copyright: Quentin Trollip