Marine life profile
Eagle Ray
Recorded at 2283 dive sitesWhere divers encounter it
Explore Eagle Ray around the world
The eagle rays are a group of cartilaginous fishes in the family Myliobatidae, consisting mostly of large species living in the open ocean rather than on the sea bottom. It appears to fly underwater, cruising over sand or reef before settling where camouflage makes it easy to miss.
Meet the species
What to look for
How to Recognize It
Look for a flattened body with wing-like fins, eyes on top and a long tail trailing behind.
How It Behaves
It appears to fly underwater, cruising over sand or reef before settling where camouflage makes it easy to miss.
Special Ability
Its broad fins turn slow-looking movements into remarkably efficient underwater flight.
Dive responsibly
Share the water well
How to Approach
Approach from the side, remain above the bottom and leave a clear path ahead. Never corner or follow closely.
Safety
Do not touch, stand on or crowd a resting ray. Give the tail room and shuffle carefully in shallow sandy water.
Worth knowing
The detail you remember
Interesting Facts
The eagle rays are a group of cartilaginous fishes in the family Myliobatidae, consisting mostly of large species living in the open ocean rather than on the sea bottom.
Where to Find
Search sandy flats, cleaning stations, reef passes and current-swept channels, especially around feeding or cleaning time.
Known countries
Sightings map
Eagle Ray locations
Plan a dive
Dive sites with reported encounters
Deep/multilevel dive. 90 ft maximum depth. Decent line. Scuttled in October of 2000, this WWII era US Navy gun ship is now fully encrusted in coral growth. Home to sting rays, eels and barracuda. When in season, spotted eagle rays can be seen flying over the wreck. Schools of bait fish and their predators can often be seen.
Confetti Bay
Mauritius
A firm favourite in the North, a shallow dive site with a slight drop off to a max of 30 m. An ideal training site for PADI Open Water Divers, or a PADI Search and Recovery Specialty, Fish ID, Naturalist or PADI Advanced Open Water Course! So many schools of fish to swim with and enjoy stunning visibility and beautiful colour. Great for macro.
Hilma Hooker
Caribbean Netherlands
You will find the wreck of the Hilma in the South. Three moorings mark the wreck, one on the bow on the stern and one shallower on the reef itself. The Hilma Hooker was sunk in 1984 and she lays perfectly on her side just of the reef on the sandy bottom. The wreck is about 72 meters in length so lots to explore here. Check underneath the masts for spiny lobsters. Also check out the cargo holds, the airshafts and the wheelhouse. Large numbers of tarpons and barracudas like to hang out around the wreck, both during the days and at night. Penetration of the wreck with a trained local guide only. But just exploring the outside of the wreck makes already for a great dive. Specially in combination with the reef where you will find some surprising stuff, even the occasional frogfish is hiding here. Dive site for experienced divers. Enriched air highly recommended, so you can enjoy more of the shipwreck at depth. Shallow reef makes an excellent safety stop.
Mahurangi Island
New Zealand
Mahurangi Island lies on the edge of Coromandel's Te-Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve and is home to an abundance of fish species.
Carlisle Bay
Barbados
We consider ourselves very lucky to have the most amazing dive site and marine protected area in our backyard. This shallow site hosts more than 7 different shipwrecks ranging from 5m to 15m, most of which you can see on a single dive.
Casa Blanca
Mexico
This is a gorgeous reef named after Casa Gordon, a beachfront house which used to white. The reef very similar in composition and marine life to Paso del Cedral, with a constant drift which helps travel over the reef. A favorite of Cozumel's repeat divers, this dive site is often thriving with sharks, green morays and turtles.
Casino Point Dive Park
United States
One of the most popular dive sites in North America is well worth the acclaim. Featuring enchanting kelp forests, ever-changing marine life and convenient entry, the Casino Point Dive Park is a site you will want to visit again and again.
Christ of the Abyss
United States of America (USA)
Located at Key Largo Dry Rocks, this popular site features the famous nine-foot statue of Jesus donate by the Cressi family, popular dive-gear manufacturers. Sand channels in the coral feature moray eels, crabs, grouper and, if you're lucky, eagle rays!
Cow Rock
United States
Cow Rock, often mentioned with its counterpart Calf Rock, is one of the most popular sites on the South side. Consisting of a rocky bottom topography that is covered in colorful growth, these natural formations create several swim through’s that attract many divers. In addition, this site and others in the area fall within the protected waters of a marine preserve. An abundance of fish, turtles, lobsters, rays, and sharks can be seen here.
El Natural
Puerto Rico
Beach Dive with both a shallow and a deep drop off to 40 m. Many types of sponges and invertabrae. Excellent DPV dive to deep wall using EANX30
Gabr el Bint
Egypt
Gabr el Bint ranks among one of the most attractive sites of North Sinai. With the access by boat, 4x4 or by camel, it is less frequently dived than the other dive sites in Dahab which has left this site in pristine condition. Gabr el Bint means 'The Grave of the Girl' in Arabic. There are two dives possible here. The ledge is riddled with exquisite coral heads that attract numerous reef species, including swarms of anthias, scorpionfish, parrotfish, crocodilefish, surgeonfish, triggerfish, trumpetfish, stingrays and very often a turtle. At the end of the ledge usually is home to a shoal of black and white snappers and twinspot snappers hang here between 5m and 10m. One of the truly breathtaking dives in Dahab.
Ilha do Meio
Brazil
Sheltered and quiet place with dives up to 15 m depth. This island, which lies between the Sea of Outside and the Sea of Inside, is very rich in marine life.
Johnny's Gorge
India
Johnny's Gorge is a bed of low-lying rocky outcrops emerging from the bottom at 26metres / 85 feet. Surrounded by sand in every direction, these rocks have become an oasis of security and food for everything from small angelfish and anemonefish to spectacular schools of mackerels, barracudas, trevallies, bumphead parrotfish, surgeonfish, and snappers. And if this isn't enough, this world-class dive site is also home to reef sharks, giant groupers, large stingrays, and visiting manta and eagle rays. There is very rarely a quiet moment at Johnny's Gorge.
Kandooma Thila
Maldives
Kandooma Thila, or also called Cocoa Thila, is one of the most exciting dives in South Male’ Atoll with great scenery as well as prolific fish life. The west and north side are the most spectacular, with the top at 16m. These are a focal point for schools of Bluefin Trevallies, eagle rays, dogtooth tunas and loose groups of gray reef sharks (50+ in the right current). Cleaning station for grey reef , you can see them going in a vertical position while small wrasses are cleaning them. Currents can be very strong making it a challenging dive. For experienced divers only.
Mike's Maze
Sint Maarten
Part of the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area. It starts at approximately 40 feet (12 m) and boasts healthy coral formations and numerous maze-like swim throughs, passageways wind around coral heads, through arches and over bridges. This location is where the Nature Foundation conducted one of its coral reef restoration projects. Common critters: Many of the 60 TWA fish species! French Angelfish, schooling Chubs, Spiny Lobster, & Foureye Butterflyfish, Elkhorn Coral formations, Special guests: Spotted Eagle Rays, Squid, Caribbean Reef Sharks, Nurse Sharks, Sexy Shrimp in anemones, staghorn coral formations
MIYARU KANDU
Maldives
Miyaru Kandu is a fascinating channel dive in the Maldives that features many small caves on both sides of the channel and numerous overhangs. The entire channel has been declared a protected marine area. This memorable drift dive is experienced on an incoming current, however even with an outgoing current divers are likely to get a lot of action, though the visibility is not so good. The south side passage of the site contains many large rocks covered with soft corals and teeming with reef fish. On the north side of the channel there is a cave 33m/108ft deep, which is ideal for spotting grey reef sharks. There are also many caves and overhangs at deeper depths on the outside of the reef. This location is ideal for underwater photography.
Mosquera
Ecuador
Mosquera (NORTH) Site Conditions: Normally there are no strong currents, sandy bottom between 10 meters with garden eels and pelagic species. North Mosquera presents a sandy rock area that connects with Seymour channel where must be found reef fishes and tintoreras rest. Activity: Hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks, black-tipped reef sharks, white-tipped reef sharks, sea lions, turtles, barracudas, reef fishes, stingrays, eagle rays, mobulas, Galápagos eel, variety of invertebrates. MOSQUERA (SOUTH) Site Conditions: There are no strong currents; a big reef of 5 meters with an inclination ravine of 18mtr with black coral and mollusks invertebrates; there is also a submarine cany on from18 meters with pelagic species. Activity: Hammer head sharks, black-tipped reef sharks, white-tipped reef sharks, sea lions, turtles, barracudas, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, mobulas, Galápagos eel, variety of invertebrates.
Overheat Reef
Honduras
Overheat Reef is our "homebase" reef area, so to speak. Located only 5 minutes from the shop, it is also one of our favorites with an abundance of sea life and a great variety of topographic interests, including, sandy bottom area, cobble areas, the reef top and the reef wall which runs from about 12 M/40 FT down to 24 M/80 FT. This is a fantastic dive site for snorkelers and divers due to mixed depths, marine life and topographic interests.
Pelican Rock
Mexico
Pelican Rock is one of Cabo's most famous sites. A pinnacle covered in purple fans rising up above the surface from around 14 meters underwater at its deepest. Just in front of the pinnacle we also have a beautiful wall dive filled with life, and off to its side one of Cabo's famous sand falls. The dive site has something for everyone. The shallows are great for courses & newer divers, while the deep walls make it an incredible spot for tec divers to explore. But the big highlight is the sheer amount of life that inhabits the site all year round, making it a beautiful spot for all levels of divers.
Rasdhoo Beyru
Maldives
A beautiful wall on the south side of the island of Rasdhoo with three small pinnacles (thila) that are on the lower edge a little further from the island wall. Thilas Top starts at 18-20 meters and is suitable for beginners and experts alike but the current can be medium to strong. Napoleon, white tip sharks and gray reef sharks can be sighted here regularly. Sometimes stingrays resting on the sandy bottom between 25 and 30 meters deep between the wall and the thilas. If you are lucky eagle rays, and on very lucky days manta rays! It is also a great diving spot for macro enthusiasts as so many small creatures can be found here!
Tiger Port
Maldives
Tiger Port is an amazing location where you're able to see a large number of full-grown sharks including Tiger sharks, Bull sharks, Hammerheads, spinner sharks. Divers must have at least Open Water Diver certification to dive at this exciting and unbelievable location, Dive with experienced dive guides to practice safety protocols. SMBs are a must at this dive site as it is a high boat traffic location and safety should be the highest priority. 10 minutes by boat ride from Male' to the dive site.
Aarah Dekunu Thila
Maldives
ADT is a deep thila in front off the island of Aarah. With a current from the west, we start on the gently sloping part of the lagoon in the south-west. We drift in a deep of 22m to the first small block and from there to the thila. If the current is not too strong, the dive can be ended at the main reef
Aarah Kuda Thila
Maldives
A small reef with many different types of colorful coral. The reef roof is at a height of 6m and has a diameter of approx. 20m, at a depth of 25m it should be approx. 50m. On the west side an overhang with soft corals, further deeper a gap with giant moray eels and cleaner shrimp.
Abrolhos / Chapeirão Faca Cega
Location being verified
The set of coral pinnacles that received the name of “Faca Cega“ (Blind Knife) consists of one of the main diving points of the Abrolhos Archipelago. It has a room that reaches a depth of 25 meters, with almost 20 meters in diameter. The view is impressive, with several passages and burrows.