ray
Spotted eagle ray.
Aetobatus ocellatus · also: Whitespotted eagle ray
An elegant, white-spotted ray that seems to "fly" through the water on long pointed wings, gliding solo or in loose flocks over sandy reef flats. Its distinctive duck-bill snout is a tool for rooting molluscs out of the seabed. The constellation of spots on its dark back makes it one of the most beautiful rays in Maldivian shallows.
Size
~3 m disc width; ~5 m incl. tail
Weight
Over ~200 kg in large specimens (disc to ~3 m).
Diet
Hard-shelled molluscs, crustaceans and small fish, dug from the sand.
Lifespan
Long-lived; likely 20+ years.
Depth
Mostly under 60 m coastal; down to ~90 m.
Reproduction
Live-bearing; low fecundity, ~1–4 pups, possibly 2–3 years between litters.
Snorkel or dive
Snorkel + dive
Best season
Year-round
Conservation
Endangered
How to recognise it
Dark back covered in white spots and rings; duck-like snout; long whip tail.
Behaviour
Cruises mid-water and over sand in current, often in small groups; digs molluscs from the sand.
Where to see it in the Maldives
Channels, sandy lagoon edges and thilas atoll-wide; flies along channel walls in current.
Recorded at
Atolls
Dive sites
Conservation
Endangered (recently uplisted) — fisheries and a very low birth rate.
IUCN · Endangered
Watch them responsibly
Keep distance and don't chase (they tire and flee); approach slowly from the side so they keep feeding.
Can leap clear of the water — sometimes seen breaching.
Plate-like tooth bands work like a nutcracker to crush clam and whelk shells.
Collective noun: a fever of rays
Want to dive with spotted eagle ray?
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Sightings are typical, not guaranteed — encounters vary with season and conditions.