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WHAT IS ELASMODIVER?

Not just Shark Pictures: Elasmodiver contains photos of sharks, skates, rays, and chimaera's from around the world. Elasmodiver began as a simple web based shark field guide to help divers find the best places to encounter the different species of sharks and rays that live in shallow water but it has slowly evolved into a much larger project containing information on all aspects of shark diving and shark photography.

There are now more than 5000 shark pictures  and sections on shark evolution, biology, and conservation. There is a large library of reviewed shark books, a constantly updated 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:

WHAT'S NEW?

Shark picture - green sawfish

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Chasing Rays in Baja California Sur Story and Images

 

First published in Baja Life Magazine Fall 2007

 

Round Stingray Images

 

Spotted Eagle Ray

Round Stingray 002

Round Stingray 007

Round Stingray 005

 

Spotted Eagle Ray 001

 

Cortez Stingray Images

Cortez Round Stingray 004

Cortez Round Stingray 015

Cortez Round Stingray 011

Cortez Round Stingray 012

Cortez Round Stingray 008

 

Cortez Electric Ray Images

Cortez Electric Ray 005

Cortez Electric Ray 009

Cortez Electric Ray 001

 

 

 

Bullseye Electric Ray Images

Bullseye Electric Ray 027

Bullseye Electric Ray 025

Bullseye Electric Ray 010

Bullseye Electric Ray 037

Bullseye Electric Ray 039

 

Banded Guitarfish Images

Banded Guitarfish 020

Banded Guitarfish 033

Banded Guitarfish 001

Banded Guitarfish 024

Banded Guitarfish 031

 

Chasing Rays in Baja California Sur Article:

I have been photographing sharks and rays for almost a decade, traveling all over the world in pursuit of unusual species. For sharks, my favorite continent is Australia where almost 200 species reside. But for rays, there is no better place to look than in the warm, shallow waters of the Sea of Cortez. Baja’s bizarre assortment of batoids (rays) includes giant mantas, eagle rays, butterfly rays, electric rays, cownose rays, scores of stingrays, three types of guitarfish and a handful of deepwater skates.

Pull off the road at any protected beach, don a mask and snorkel, and the adventure begins. Colorful parrotfish munch away at the algae covered rocks, sea stars creep across the white sand like the negative of a night sky, and pufferfish float around ready to inflate their way out of trouble. Observing all this activity from the safety of the sea floor are ornately patterned Round, Cortez, and Bullseye Stingrays. These Frisbee sized animals (collectively called round stingrays) forage for invertebrates in the substrate and occasionally chase each other in comical courtship dances.

Round stingrays abound in the Sea of Cortez which some people may find disturbing. Think of them as the garter snakes of the sea. Although they possess the hardware to defend themselves, they would much rather swim away than risk a confrontation. In fact, the hardest part of stingray watching is getting close enough to enjoy their beautiful markings before they panic and take flight.

Waders are occasionally stung when they inadvertently tread on stingrays in the shallows. Although the pain can be quite intense (like a bad bee sting), the venom is unlikely to cause any long term health problems and the pain can quickly be alleviated by immersing the area in very hot water. A doctor should then confirm that the wound is clear of any foreign material and an antiseptic should be applied to counter infection. Savvy beachgoers use the self explanatory ‘stingray shuffle’ to avoid stepping on hidden rays.

Every time I visit Baja I stop at Playa El Burro (south of Mulegé) where I know that I can find lots of round stingrays. Chasing stingrays can keep me entertained for days but on my last trip with my girlfriend Claire, we decided to go in search of more exotic batoids which involved trading in our snorkels for scuba gear. In La Paz, we joined the divers at Club Cantamar on a trip to the sea lion colony at Los Islotes.

While the other divers frolicked in the waves with the acrobatic California sea lions, we grabbed our cameras and wandered off in search of electric rays. These stocky cousins of the stingray have lost their venomous spines and developed electrically charged organs that they use to shock their prey into submission. They can pack a hefty punch but they rarely act aggressively towards divers.

Dropping down to 70ft I soon located a pair of eyes peaking out of the sand. Fanning the seabed revealed a boldly patterned Bullseye Electric Ray. This strange little creature has a circular marking on its back that is designed to look like a huge eyeball. In theory it should scare away larger predators but I can’t help thinking that it looks more like a target than a means of defense.

We found a number of Bullseye and Cortez Electric Rays on that dive. One even rose up into the water column and came over to check us out to the delight of Claire who floated mesmerized while the plucky little ray swam around her.

Bidding farewell to our friends at Club Cantamar, we had just enough time to squeeze in one more day of diving before heading back to the US. We chose Cabo Pulmo, the jewel of the Sea of Cortez and the only hard coral reef structure on the Pacific coast of North America.

After a bumpy ride along a mostly unpaved road we arrived in time to catch the last panga heading out to the Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park. It is easy to see why the local residents lobbied so fiercely to have this area declared off limits to commercial fishermen. We plunged into such a riotous assortment of colorful fish and invertebrates that it was difficult to know where to point our cameras. Then, beneath the swirling mass of life I found a female Banded Guitarfish nonchalantly resting next to a coral head. Its pectoral fins were in tatters probably from being grasped by too many overzealous males. Perhaps it was too exhausted to swim away because it allowed me to settle onto the sand beside it, and marvel at its alien appearance. Devoid of any defensive weapons, Banded Guitarfish survive by their shear size and toughened, leathery hide that makes them invulnerable to all but the most persistent predators. Delighted with this unexpected find, I snapped away feverishly while Claire swam among the Jacks and groupers above my head.

While we washed and stowed our dive gear for the long drive north, I wondered when we would make another trip. As if reading my mind, the dive master walked over and said “So, have you dived with schooling mobula rays yet?” I stood there drooling while he described the thrill of swimming through hundreds of rays gliding in formation just below the surface. “Come back in February” he said. “As the seasons change, so do the rays”. Obviously I will have to make many more trips before I have seen all that the Sea of Cortez has to offer.

 

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