globeinfo.live

I was diving at Wreck Beach Reef, Great Keppel Island, last Friday and I managed to photograph a Blue Spotted Fan Ray (Taeniura lyenma) –a regular stingray in the family Dasyatidae except with blue spots!

It was my dive buddy Kirsty who spotted it while peering under one of the large boulder corals (the Porites spp.) that are scattered around the perimeter of this reef.   There are usually painted sweetlips (Diagramma pictum) on guard, that move only when you swim right up to them.   I managed to get my camera and myself underneath one of the boulder corals and then inside what turned out to be a reasonable sized cavity.  It was quite an effort, for a very ordinary photograph of a common ray.

I am an amateur photographer.  It is a memory – and a research grade observation now lodged at iNaturalist.

Blue Spotted Fan Rays are magnificent creatures, but not megafauna.  They are small in the scheme of things, as far as rays go.

I have photographed a mega ray, specifically a Smalleye stingray, scientific name Megatrygon microps.

That was at sunrise at the SS Yongala wreck dive site on May 6^th this year.  It was the most magical encounter, as the Mega-trygon circled with three whiptail stingrays slipping and sliding on-top.   I have described how curious the stingray was in a blog post, CLICK HERE.     

We are planning to dive the Yongala wreck – arguably one of the best ten dive sites in the world – as part of the Underwater Megafauna Photographic Competition and Expedition, departing Townsville Breakwater Marina on Monday 2^nd September.   This photographic competition has a category ‘largest ray, shark or whale’ and ‘largest fish that is not a ray or shark’.

There can be all of these at the Yongala!

I’ve received some fabulous applications from some talented underwater photographers.

Three of the five spots have already been awarded.  I will be letting the final two successful megafauna photographers know next Tuesday – that will then make five departing on the MV Sea Esta for four days and five nights, potentially 14 dives in total, with the last two dives at the Yongala, weather permitting.

It’s not too late if you want to apply.  But you need to get your application in before 5pm on Monday, July 29^th.

Of course, the biggest rays are the Manta Rays (family Myliobatidae, subfamily Mobulinae) that can reach over 6 metres across.  That is mega!

There are about 37 species in this family, with their eyes on the side of their head, which is not fattened.  I’ve scuba dived with Manta Rays at Lady Elliott Island, and at Shark Alley off Stradbroke Island.   I’m hoping that they will be at the Yongala for the Megafauna Expedition.

David Strain describes his experience with a Manta at the Yonga at the PADI blog:

As Manta Rays sat over the wreck in 15 metres of water facing into the strong current, gills open as an invitation to the resident cleaner wrasse before turning down current, gliding away then around to again take up position over the wreck.