Marble Ray

Photo: Sam · CC BY-NC

Marble rays, one of the largest stingray species in the Indo-Pacific, are a daily presence at the Yongala stern, cruising along the sandy bottom with their distinctive black-and-white patterned disc. They can reach nearly two metres in disc width and often rest motionless on the seafloor, partially obscured by swirling sediment kicked up by passing sharks. The combination of marble rays, gropers, and sea snakes at the stern makes this one of the most species-dense wreck sections anywhere in the world.