Not just Shark
Pictures: Elasmodiver contains photos of sharks, skates, rays, and
chimaera's from around the world. It began as a simple web based
field guide to help divers find the best places to encounter
different species of sharks and rays but it has slowly evolved into
a much larger project containing information on all aspects of shark
diving and photography. There are now more than a thousand shark
pictures and sections on shark evolution, biology, and
conservation. There is a large library of reviewed shark books, a
constantly outdated shark taxonomy page, a monster list of shark
links, and deeper in the site there are numerous articles and
stories about shark encounters. Elasmodiver is now so difficult to
check for updates, that new information and pictures are listed on
an Elasmodiver Updates Page that can be accessed here:
If you're looking for a
broader range of marine life pictures the following links represent
a new area that contains pictures on other marine organisms and on
marine habitats. This expansion of Elasmodiver is in its first
stages but will eventually include pages on everything from sea
stars to nudibranches. Creating this portal will take time and for
now it consists of a token offering of fish pictures. Please return
regularly to enjoy the progress.
Identification: Very
wide rhomboid disc. Prominent brow with flattened, pointed snout. Very long,
whip like tail (often broken off part way). Dorsum black, bluish, or gray,
covered with small white spots. In some individuals the white spots can be
slightly larger with black centers. The species is apparently under review and
may be divided in the future. Ventrum pale.
Size: Wing
span to 200cm. Max 250cm. Nose to tail (when complete) max 500cm.
Habitat: Cruises
reef faces and sand flats (where it feeds). Also open ocean. Intertidal to 24m.
Abundance: Commonly
seen in Florida and Caribbean.
Distribution: On
the Atlantic coast from Virginia to Brazil. Circumtropical.
Behavior: Known
to school in some areas. It feeds by scooping its flattened snout through the
sand. Preys mainly on mollusks.
Reproduction: Ovoviviparous.
Observations:
Photographs: Dominica,
Carriacou.
Similar species:
Reaction to divers: Generally
shy and hard to approach. The best way I have found to get close to these rays
is to sneak up on them from behind when feeding.
Diving logistics: South
Caicos Island (part of the Turks and Caicos chain) reportedly has schooling
eagle rays on a regular basis. South Caicos is a remote location and best
reached by liveaboard, but for land based access try Grand Turk rather than
Providenciales. Eagle rays are occasional visitors to many areas that divers
frequent in the Caribbean. I have not been lucky enough to find the ‘mother
load’ yet, but the walls of Grand Cayman are fairly well stocked.
