Southern stingray

Photo: Kerry Lewis · CC BY-NC

Southern stingrays rest in the sandy areas adjacent to Tarpon Cave, partially burying themselves in the substrate and remaining nearly invisible until a diver passes close. They forage at dawn and dusk on worms, crustaceans and small bivalves, excavating craters with undulating wing-beats to expose buried prey. Their tail spine is used purely for defence and not hunting — a defensive tool they deploy with surprising accuracy when threatened.