Giant Devil Ray

Photo: guillaume_papuga · CC BY-NC

Giant devil rays form large aggregations over the bank between April and September, often cartwheeling at the surface before descending to feed on the zooplankton layers that collect around the pinnacle. They are critically endangered in the wider Atlantic but the Azores EEZ supports one of the healthiest remaining populations, and Princess Alice Bank is a known feeding and socialising hub. Divers routinely find themselves surrounded by wings spanning nearly 3 m.