ray
Spinetail devil ray.
Mobula mobular · also: Devil ray, Spinetail mobula, Flying ray
A smaller cousin of the mantas with a slender, whip-like tail, the spinetail devil ray is a fast, schooling filter-feeder of open and coastal waters. It is famous for spectacular breaching — launching clear of the surface and belly-flopping back with a loud slap. Often seen at the surface, sometimes alongside mantas.
Size
To ~3+ m disc width
Weight
Large specimens to ~1.5 tonnes (disc to ~3.5 m+).
Diet
Zooplankton (especially krill) and small schooling fish.
Lifespan
~20 years.
Depth
Surface to ~700 m; usually 0–200 m.
Reproduction
Live-bearing; a single pup every 1–3 years after ~12-month gestation.
Snorkel or dive
Snorkel + dive
Best season
Plankton season (with mantas)
Conservation
Endangered
How to recognise it
Like a small manta but mouth set under the head (sub-terminal); shorter cephalic lobes; tail spine.
Behaviour
Schools, sometimes in large numbers; plankton filter feeder; famous for leaping and belly-flopping.
Where to see it in the Maldives
Open water and channels atoll-wide; often schooling at the surface, sometimes alongside mantas.
Conservation
Endangered — gill-plate fisheries and bycatch; extremely low reproductive rate.
IUCN · Endangered
Watch them responsibly
Don't chase or crowd schools; keep distance and let them feed and pass undisturbed.
Devil rays make spectacular synchronized leaps, breaching several feet into the air.
One of the deepest-diving rays known, and a prolific breacher — the reason for the leaps is still debated.
Collective noun: a fever of rays
Want to dive with spinetail devil ray?
Our Maldives specialists match you to the right atoll, season and resort.
Sightings are typical, not guaranteed — encounters vary with season and conditions.