Spotted Eagle Ray

Photo: michel candel · CC BY-NC-SA

Spotted eagle rays cruise Santa Monica Bay year-round, occasionally forming loose schools of 10 or more individuals during the November to January aggregation period when they appear to gather for courtship. Their distinctive white-spotted dorsal pattern makes them unmistakable as they glide over the sandy floor excavating for molluscs and crustaceans. The bay's combination of shallow sandy habitat and adjacent reef wall gives them feeding ground and refuge within the same dive.