This spotted eagle ray is a regular visitor to one of the spots where I go snorkeling. It’s not the largest one I’ve seen but it is certainly bulky and has the biggest head I’ve ever seen on an eagle ray. It looks like an older ray which has been in the wars, with a number of scars and bits missing here and there.
The top photo shows the eagle ray headed my way. It curled up over the rocks and coral and then veered around and headed back out to deeper water. The middle photo gives a good view of the head as the ray prepares to use its large, duck-billed nose to dig into the sand in search of molluscs and other organisms that they feed on. The photo below shows the ray cruising a little way above the sea floor.
Graham's Island 
What a fabulous individual and great photos.
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You would think that calling it a duck billed ray would have been more accurate.
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Yes, it’s not exactly eagle-like, but then a lot of bird names aren’t the ones I would have thought most likely for them.
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I’ve often thought that some North American bird species were named by a colour blind ornithologist.
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