Ray
Spotted Eagle Ray
Aetobatus narinari
An elegant, wide-winged ray of KZN reefs and bays, dark above with a scatter of white spots and a long whip tail.
Also known as bonnet ray, eagle ray, spotted eagle
- Typical size
- Disc commonly 1-2 m wide
- Habitat
- Reefs, sand flats and bays
- Depth
- Shallows to ~60 m
The spotted eagle ray is instantly recognisable, with broad pointed pectoral wings, a distinct duck-like snout and a dark blue-black back covered in pale spots and rings over a white belly. It has a long, trailing tail carrying venomous spines near the base.
It is often seen gliding gracefully over reefs and sand flats along the KwaZulu-Natal coast, sometimes leaping clear of the surface, and it uses its snout to dig molluscs and crustaceans from the sand. Generally shy and harmless to divers, it should still be given room out of respect for the tail spines.