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These incredible pictures were taken outside the shoreline apartments by one of our members Craig Wright.
“I must admit I was knee deep in water and trying to avoid them. The light wasn’t great and I just did my best to snap away but they wouldn’t sit still! Apparently they are harmless unless they are provoked but I don’t know what ‘provoked means’ maybe they don’t like having their pictures taken!”
After a bit of research it appears that they are Cow Nose rays - the same ones that they have in the Atlantis Aquarium and they can get as big as 35-40 inches across - that’s about a meter to you youngsters!
They do have a sting in the tail, but it should be no more severe than a bee sting, it is still best not to get too close.
Do you have any wildlife shots from around the palm? Please feel free to create a photo album and upload them for everyone to see.
SOME FACTS ON COW NOSE RAYS FROM WIKIPEDIA
The Cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonasus) is a species of eagle ray found throughout a large part of the western Atlantic and Caribbean, from New England, USA to southern Brazil. It is the most common type of ray found in the Chesapeake Bay, USA, where sport fishermen find the species a nuisance. Cownose rays grow rapidly, and male rays often reach about 35 inches (90 cm) in width and weigh 26 pounds (12 kg). Females typically reach 28 inches (70 cm) in width and weigh 36 pounds (16 kg).
Size and appearance
The cownose ray is 11 to 18 inches (28 to 46 cm) in width at birth. A mature specimen can grow to 45 inches (1.1 m) in width, and weigh 50 pounds (23 kg) or more. There is some controversy over the size that a mature cownose ray can reach. A ray reaching a span of 84 inches has been recorded[citation needed].
A cownose ray is typically brown-backed with a whitish or yellowish belly. Although its coloration is not particularly distinctive, its shape is easily recognizable. It has a broad head with wide-set eyes, and a pair of distinctive lobes on its subrostral fin. It also has a set of dental plates designed for crushing clams and oyster shells.
A cownose ray has a stinger, called a spine, on its tail, close to the ray's body. This spine has teeth lining its lateral edges, and is coated with a weak venom that which causes symptoms similar to that of a bee sting.
Feeding habits
The cownose ray feeds upon clams, oysters, hard clams and other invertebrates. It uses two modified fins on its front side to produce suction, which allows it to draw food into its mouth, where it crushes its food with its dental plates. Cownose rays typically swim in groups, which allows them to use their synchronized wing flaps to stir up sediment and expose buried clams and oysters. Also called the Lotus of the Sea.
