Found in shallow coastal waters and bays in tropical regions around the world, Eagle Rays are some of the most incredible fish you may ever encounter while diving. Found in areas like the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic coast of Africa, the Pacific West Coast, Hawaii, Australia, and the Indian Ocean, eagle rays can dive down to depths of about 300 meters. Let’s take a closer look at these amazing animals.
Eagle Ray Basics
Part of the family Myliobatidae, Eagle Rays are cartilaginous fishes, closely related to other rays as well as to sharks. While they are bottom feeders, eating mollusks and crustaceans, whose shells they crush with their large, flattened teeth, and while they are sometimes found in deep water, divers can often encounter them in reef environments where there is enough room for them to scour sandy bottom patches. Eagle Rays compose seven genera and three subfamilies, ranging in size from 19 inches to as much as 30 feet in length.
Some eagle rays, such as the Banded Eagle Ray, which is threatened by habitat loss, the Rough Eagle Ray, which lives in a limited area around the Galapagos Islands, the Longhead Eagle Ray, which is endangered by overfishing, the Mottled Eagle Ray, and the Ornate Eagle Ray are seen more rarely than others.
More commonly encountered eagle rays include Cownose Rays, a smaller species that can grow to be two to three feet across, which are found primarily in the western Atlantic and Caribbean, from New England to Brazil; along with their cousins, the Javanese Cownose Rays, found in the Indian Ocean, and the Australian Cownose Rays, found all around the Australian coastline. Other species encountered with some regularity are Common Eagle Rays, which are distributed throughout the Eastern Atlantic, North Sea, and Mediterranean, and the Bat Eagle Ray which can grow to be more than five feet long, and which is found in the Pacific Ocean, Bull Rays are also very large, sometimes growing to over eight feet long; they are found in the Mediterranean and along the Atlantic Coast between Portugal and South Africa.
Probably the most exciting species to encounter, and also one which is found with regularity, is the Spotted Eagle Ray. These rays are also known as Bonnet Rays or Maylan, and can grow to be eight feet across and sixteen feet long. The largest specimen ever measured weighed in at 507 pounds. Distributed throughout the world’s tropical areas, these rays have a distinctive inky blue color, with a pattern of white spots or white rings across its dorsal side.
All eagle rays are ovoviviparous, meaning they bear live young. Gestation varies by species, however it can take as long as one year, in the case of the spotted eagle ray. Eagle ray pups are born in small litters of about four, which emerge as miniature versions of their parents, and which take off as soon as they are born; no parental care is provided. Some eagle rays take as long as six years to reach maturity.
Diving With Eagle Rays
Almost all eagle rays are armed with stings, which are venomous, and which have the same toxic effects as those of other stingrays; namely searing hot pain which can be followed by convulsions and cramping, and which can lead to death in rare cases. Luckily, eagle rays tend to be curious and docile, and will not normally sting unless provoked. By keeping your distance and enjoying the experience of viewing the rays as they engage in natural behavior, you can prevent yourself from becoming the victim of a painful or even fatal sting.
While eagle rays can be seen from the surface, often traveling with their wings pointed upward, giving the appearance of a pair of sharks moving side by side through the water, they sometimes leap up and out of the water in a stunning display of acrobatic strength. While you might witness this behavior from below the surface from time to time, it is more common to encounter the rays as they go about their daily lives.
Eagle rays are fascinating to watch. When feeding, they often use their snouts to dig beneath the sand in search of small fish, octopus, crustaceans and other small creatures, usually sending up a huge cloud of sand and spewing water and sand from their gills as they separate edible portions of their prey from shells and spines. If you are fortunate enough to witness eagle rays courting, you’ll see either a group of males or sometimes a solitary male pursuing a single female as she swoops flirtatiously through the water. After a time, she will allow herself to be captured, after which she and her selected mate will join ventral sides for between 30-90 seconds.
These rays can be solitary, however they are often seen in loose aggregations consisting of anywhere from three to sixteen individuals swimming together in the same direction and at the exact same speed. As they are often so large, their predators are few. Hammerhead sharks, silvertip and bull sharks, lemon sharks, and tiger sharks have been known to prey on eagle rays, and some sharks have been observed following pregnant female rays during birthing season, then consuming the pups as soon as they are born.
One of the greatest threats to eagle rays is loss of habitat; another is pollution. Humans sometimes pose a threat to eagle rays, in some cases fishing for them intentionally, but more often capturing them as bycatch. They are in demand for the aquarium trade, although amateur aquarium enthusiasts do not pose a threat to the largest species. Fortunately, they are protected by a variety of laws either limiting or banning their capture in countries like South Africa, Australia, and the United States.
There are many places to dive with eagle rays across the planet, with some of the best places being areas that are popular for their reefs, rock formations, and other aspects. The Maldives, Thailand, the Cayman Islands, Cozumel, Florida, and Hawaii are all excellent places to find dive sites where eagle rays are commonly encountered. With careful conservation and continuing educational efforts, these magnificent creatures will certainly continue to grace us with their presence in times to come.