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a large library of reviewed shark books, a constantly outdated shark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.
View all available shark and ray images in the
SHARKIVE
Common Names:
Spotted
eagle ray, White-spotted eagle ray
Latin Name: Aetobatus
narinari
Family: Myliobatidae
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.