Spotted eagle ray

Photo: michel candel · CC BY-NC-SA

Elegant, wing-shaped rays recognised by a white-spotted black dorsum and a long, whip-like tail. Spotted eagle rays are active swimmers, covering large distances in open water and occasionally forming large feeding schools. They prey on buried molluscs and crustaceans, using their flat, plate-like teeth to crush shells. Often encountered cruising along reef edges or in blue water above the reef. Near threatened globally; highly susceptible to bycatch. A highlight of any dive — their wing-beat motion in open water is one of the ocean's most graceful sights.