Blue-Spotted Stingrays on the Monte Carlo Hotel Reef
Arne
The Monte Carlo Hotel has a private reef. Coral, a lot of fish, and, on this dive, blue-spotted stingrays moving over the sand. Those were the animals I watched.
The rays
I saw a few of them as soon as I got down, gliding over the sand. Tan or olive bodies, bright blue spots. Small, and easy to pick out once you know the pattern.
Blue-spotted stingray facts
- Scientific name: Taeniura lymma.
- Blue spots on the body and blue stripes on the tail, which is a warning.
- They like shallow sand next to reef, which is this site.
- Wingspan up to about 35 centimetres (14 inches). They look gentle. They still have venomous spines on the tail.
- They would rather leave than fight.
- Bottom dwellers. They bury in the sand to hide or to rest during the day.
They were feeding on small mollusks and crustaceans while I watched. Quiet animals on a quiet reef. I would dive this wall again for that reason.
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