Diving by Numbers

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

Widespread in both tropical and temperate waters.

Western Atlantic: North Carolina, Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and Bermuda south to Brazil

Eastern Atlantic: Mauritania to Angola Indo Pacific: Red Sea and from South Africa to Hawaii as well as north to Japan and south to Australia

Eastern Pacific: California south Puerto Pizarro, Peru including the Galápagos islands

HABITAT

Spotted eagle rays are commonly observed in bays and lagoons and often associated with coral-reef ecosystems down to DEPTHS OF AROUND 80 METRES. When not foraging inshore, they can be found in open water, where they swim close to the surface in large groups.

They are capable of swimming long distances across ocean basins, although they are known to show site fidelity over their lifetime

TOURISM

Sightings of the species are common in the Caribbean, Mexico, the Galápagos Islands and the Maldives, where it has been afforded protection due to its value to ecotourism. Individuals are generally shy and keep their distance from scuba divers, but their striking pattern and graceful movement make them a popular species to encounter at any dive destination

PREDATORS

The spotted eagle ray usually falls victim to various shark species such as silvertips, tiger sharks, bull sharks and great hammerheads, and has been observed leaping completely clear of the water when being pursued. Sharks have also been reported following groups of rays during the birthing season and feeding on newborn pups.

SNOUT, JAWS AND TEETH

The spotted eagle ray has a LONG, BROAD SNOUT that resembles a duck bill and is used to search for invertebrates in the sand and mud. The upper and lower jaw combine to form one single plate that has a single row of flat chevron-shaped teeth

DIET

Spotted eagle rays feed mostly on molluscs that are removed from their shell with the ray’s powerful plate-like teeth. They also consume shrimps, crustaceans, octopuses, squid and bony fish

SCHOOLING BEHAVIOUR

When travelling, spotted eagle rays will gather in large groups of UP TO SEVERAL HUNDRED INDIVIDUALS. A small group of rays, with occasional interactions between them, is known as a loose aggregation. A school is defined as six or more rays swimming in the same direction at the same speed

COLOURATION

Perhaps the most beautiful of all rays, the spotted eagle ray has A DISTINCTIVE SPOTTED PATTERN similar to a whale shark on its upper body that makes it easy to recognise.The small white spots stand out against the black, dark grey or brown body and sometimes join to form lines and circles

REPRODUCTION

As an ovoviviparous species, the eggs develop and hatch inside the mother, who gives birth to between one and four pups after a GESTATION PERIOD OF AROUND 12 MONTHS. Each pup measures between 17 and 35 centimetres at birth and does not reach sexual maturity until it is at least four years old. This low reproductive output means the species is particularly vulnerable to overfishing and other environmental factors