Spotted Eagle Ray behaviour

[radagalf]

I am currently travelling through the Caribbean, and have seen spotted eagle rays jumping out of the water. Is this something they do for fun, a part of their mating ritual, or is it them just trying to avoid predation?

Any help or links to professors or universities will be appreciated!

Cheers

 

[adshepard]

I am currently travelling through the Caribbean, and have seen spotted eagle rays jumping out of the water. Is this something they do for fun, a part of their mating ritual, or is it them just trying to avoid predation?

Any help or links to professors or universities will be appreciated!

Cheers

I had thought it was to rid themselves of parasites but the only info I can find is that it is suspected to be a territorial behavior and that males are the jumpers. I just read another site that said it was females that jump to facilitate births. Nothing out there seems to really know what's going on.

I've only seen it once or twice and it is pretty cool

DSDO

Alan

 

[Hank49]

I've also heard they're trying to shake the remoras. I see them jump in the lagoon here but not so much in the deep sea. Maybe they're just stoked and having a good time.

 

[gangrel441]

Wow....I thought I had heard of Mantas jumping, but don't recall hearing of this with Spotted Eagles....guess you learn something new every day!

 

[radagalf]

I saw 2 spotted eagle rays jump the other day, and previously I saw 3 jumping many many times. It is really weird to see these graceful creatures as once they are out they flap their wings and try to fly... quite amusing!!! I wish I had a camera so I could take pictures!

 

[DavidPT40]

My bet is parasites.

 

[riddler]

There may be a number of reasons they do this. I personally have seen a spotted eagle ray in Cayman Brac leap twice out of the water. On the first leap, I saw a LARGE remora attached to it. On the second leap, the remora was flung about ten feet in the air before splashing down in the water. After that, the ray stopped jumping. It's a pretty good guess that this one was breaching just to get the ramora off. But there may be other reasons they do it.

 

[Hank49]

It's a pretty good guess that this one was breaching just to get the ramora off. But there may be other reasons they do it.

If I could I'd jump out of the water to shake remoras too. Ever have one follow you when you have no wetsuit or shirt? They're pesky and if you try to brush them away with your hand they get pissed and come back and nip at you.

 

[Oceandvr]

I've seen cownose rays showing this same type of behavior in the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay. And I've been told that it's primarily to rid themselves of parasites or it could be a territorial display or both. It's cool to see them fly out of the water, though I don't see them nearly as much now as I did the first year that I moved here. Hmm... :33:

 

[ianr33]

Some amazing photos of "flying" mobula rays here
http://www.malbertphoto.com/mobulas1.html