Help identify this sting ray

[AwesomelyHumble]

Hi all, I'm not sure if this is in the correct subforum, moderator please move if necessary.

I was snorkeling at Crescent Bay in Laguna Beach, CA this afternoon, and came across an interesting sting ray. The head looked big and defined, but I don't know the type. I've attached a picture, can anyone identify it? The big one was about 4-ish feet across (it looked big, but I'm trying to be accurate and not exaggerate), and the little baby one was about 12 inches across (not pictured). I've edited the photo in Photoshop to remove the green and brighten up the image, nothing else. The images are from a GoPro Hero 3+

 

[ajduplessis]

I am no expert, but I looks like an Eagle Ray. The variant without the white spots.

 

[diversteve]

Pacific Cownose Ray ? - Aquarium of the Pacific | Online Learning Center | Pacific Cownose Ray

 

[Aguablanco1]

That really looks like Jerry.
RichH

 

[AwesomelyHumble]

I Googled "Cownose sting ray" and it doesn't really look like that. The one I saw looks like it has a forehead with a protruding head.


Good pics of Cownose ray - Cownose ray photo - Rhinoptera bonasus - G59775 | ARKive

 

[diversteve]

Bat Ray? Bat ray - Wikipedia - aj was right.

The bat ray (Myliobatis californica)[1][2][3] is an eagle ray found in muddy or sandy sloughs, estuaries and bays, kelp beds and rocky-bottomed shoreline in the eastern Pacific Ocean, between the Oregon coast and the Gulf of California.

 

[Amysterious Cat]

Wow nice pics! And that's an interesting looking Sting Ray!
I'm gonna have to agree based on the pics and location that it looks like a Bat Ray.... never knew of one till now!

 

[Incident]

Yep, Bat Ray. Myliobatis californica.

Pretty common around So. Cal. waters. I saw 3 or 4 (not sure if I saw the same guy more than once though) yesterday in Catalina.

 

[ajduplessis]

Bat Ray? Bat ray - Wikipedia - aj was right.

View attachment 187072

Pure luck! Guess based only on body shape :blush: