Rays are majestic fish, which can be distinguished by their flattened bodies and their winglike fins. There are as many as 500 ray species in the world.
While some rays, such as the oceanic manta ray (the largest ray species, which can reach 7m in wingspan) generally “fly” in open water, some others are bottom swimmers.
This is particularly the case for stingrays, which also have one or more poisonous stings at the base of the tail, which can cause serious injuries. Some other species, like torpedo rays (however much rarer), can produce an electric discharge in case of danger.
It is relatively easy for snorkelers to spot rays. The reef manta ray, which lives in all tropical seas of the world, is common in the Maldives reef drop-offs, in the Tuamotu Islands passes, or on some specific spots in Big Island and Indonesia.
Aetobatus ocellatus (found in the Indopacific, and really abundant in Seychelles), Aetobatus laticeps (which occurs in the Eastern Pacific) and Aetobatus narinari (found in the Caribbean), the spotted eagle rays, are almost indistinguishable from each other.
The Southern stingray is the most common ray in the Caribbean. You can see it randomly almost everywhere in the archipelago. In some snorkeling sites in Cayman Islands, Belize or Antigua, they are even tamed and fed by local tour operators.
In Tahiti and Moorea, the pink whipray is common in the lagoons. Finally, recognizable by its colorful pattern, the bluespotted ribbontail ray is common at reefs in the Red Sea, Southeast Asia, and the Great Barrier Reef.
Reef manta ray
Mobula alfredi
Spinetail mobula
Mobula japanica
Pelagic stingray
Pteroplatytrygon violacea
Atlantic spotted eagle ray
Aetobatus narinari
Southern stingray
Dasyatis americana
Yellow stingray
Urobatis jamaicensis
Roughtail stingray
Dasyatis centroura
Lesser electric ray
Narcine bancroftii
Indopacific spotted eagle ray
Aetobatus ocellatus
Ornate eagle ray
Aetomylaeus vespertilio
Common eagle ray
Myliobatis aquila
Bluespotted ribbontail ray
Taeniura lymma
Bluespotted stingray
Neotrygon spp
Cowtail stingray
Pastinachus sephen
Round ribbontail ray
Taeniura meyeni
Australian common stingray
Trygonoptera testacea
Jenkins’ whipray
Pateobatis jenkinsii
Pink whipray
Pateobatis fai
Panther electric ray
Torpedo panthera
Halavi ray
Glaucostegus halavi
Pacific spotted eagle ray
Aetobatus laticeps
Diamond stingray
Hypanus dipterurus
Leopard round stingray
Urobatis pardalis
Blotched roundray
Urotrygon chilensis
Panamic stingray
Urotrygon aspidura
Marbled electric ray
Torpedo marmorata
Check out our top10 snorkeling spots to swim with rays!
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