Where Devils Return is a short documentary filmed in the Azores, one of the few places on Earth where endangered sicklefin devil rays gather in seasonal groups.

At Ambrósio Seamount, off Santa Maria Island, marine biologist Ana Filipa Sobral and the team behind Manta Catalog Azores, an affiliate project of the Manta Trust, uncover the hidden lives of these elusive ocean giants. Using photo-identification, cutting-edge research, and collaboration with local tour operators, they are beginning to understand why these rays return — and why this place is so important.

Blending immersive underwater cinematography with intimate human stories, the film explores the curiosity between species, the cultural shifts in how devil rays are perceived, and the growing pressures they face from overfishing and unregulated tourism.

As global populations decline, Where Devils Return asks what it means to protect not just a species, but a relationship – between people, science, and the sea – and whether places like the Azores can become a model for responsible coexistence.