Spotted eagle ray

The spotted eagle ray is one of the most graceful animals in the sea. Instead of swimming the way most fish do, it flaps its wide, flat fins up and down like a bird flapping its wings. This makes it look as if it is gently flying through the water. Those wing-like fins are huge — from tip to tip they can stretch up to about 3 metres across, wider than a car.

It is easy to see how this ray got its name. Its back is a dark blue-black colour, scattered all over with bright white spots and rings, a little like a starry night sky. This beautiful, spotty pattern makes each spotted eagle ray look as though it is wearing its very own cape of stars as it glides along.

The spotted eagle ray likes to search the soft, sandy sea floor for its dinner. It digs with its snout to find clams, crabs, whelks, sea snails, octopuses, and other small creatures. Many of these have hard shells, but the ray has a clever trick: special flat, chevron-shaped teeth that work like a nutcracker to crack the shells open so it can eat the soft food inside.

These rays are shy and peaceful, and they like to keep away from people. Sometimes a spotted eagle ray will leap right out of the water and glide through the air for a moment before splashing back down — a wonderful surprise for anyone lucky enough to see it. Mostly, though, it prefers to swim quietly on its own along warm reef edges.

Spotted eagle rays live in warm, tropical seas, especially in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean. Sadly, many are caught by accident in fishing nets, and their numbers have been falling, so they are now listed as Endangered. By fishing more carefully and looking after warm coastal waters, people can help these graceful, star-speckled 'flyers' keep soaring through the sea.