Spotted Eagle Ray

Photo: michel candel · CC BY-NC-SA

Between 2 and 8 spotted eagle rays cruise the sandy corridors between rock outcrops, their white-polka-dot patterning making them unmistakable from a distance. They excavate molluscs and worms from the sand with their distinctive shovel snouts, leaving characteristic pits that other species exploit for the disturbed invertebrates. This population's habituation to divers allows slow, extended observation — something almost impossible at fished sites where they are deeply wary.