Spotted Eagle Ray

Photo: michel candel · CC BY-NC-SA

Graceful squadrons of spotted eagle rays regularly patrol the sandy flats and wall base around Fahal Island. They use their distinctive shovel-shaped snouts to excavate molluscs and crustaceans from the seabed, crushing hard shells with plate-like dentition. Groups of 5 to 15 individuals are common, and occasional aggregations of 50 or more have been recorded during the northeast monsoon.