Spotted Eagle Ray

Photo: Luke Foster · CC BY-NC

Spotted eagle rays pass through North Rock in small groups during the summer months, using the outer reef edge as a navigational waypoint on migrations connected to their broader Atlantic range. They feed on molluscs and crustaceans in the sandy areas behind the reef line, excavating craters in the sand with their shovel-like snouts to expose buried bivalves. Their spotted dorsal pattern is individually distinct, allowing photo-identification that has revealed seasonal site fidelity among some individuals visiting Bermuda annually.