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MOSSEL BAY NEWS AND VIDEO - The Stranded Animal Rescue Team (S.M.A.R.T.) published information about a Duckbill Ray that Mossel Bay resident, Bernardino Marques spotted with his drone in the sea at Pienaar beach in Glentana.

The Environmental conservation organisation says this is quite exciting as this animal is on the global critical endangered species list, especially in the Mediterranean Sea area where their population is highly suspected to be decreasing by approximately 80% during the last 45 years.

According to S.M.A.R.T., the Duckbill Ray (which is also called the Bull Ray in other parts of the world) is a thick-headed Eagle Ray with several pale blue-grey stripes across its light brown body. It has a rounded flat snout, very much like a duck’s bill, hence its name. 

Their underside is white and it may be that stripes are sometimes absent.

They are found along our Southeastern Coast, Saldanha Bay to Natal and Southern Mozambique. Elsewhere they appear in the tropical Eastern Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and possibly off Zanzibar in the western Indian Ocean. 

They are powerful swimmers and are sometimes found in small groups. They feed on bivalves (clams, oysters, cockles, mussels, scallops, etc.), gastropods (limpets, whelks, periwinkles, abalones, venomous cone shells, and the shell-less nudibranchs, sea slugs and sea hares) bony fish and squid.

Supplied video - Bernie Marques took this video of a Duckbill Ray swimming with sharks in Glentana waters (Video:  Bernie Marques).

These rays have a very sensitive life history with three to four young being born at a time and a long gestation period of six to twelve months, depending on the geographical zone they live in. Some are often found in shallow water which presents them with great risks. 

Some of their greatest risks are rock and surf angling, spear fishermen, trawling boats and gill nets.

Phone S.M.A.R.T. on 072 227 4715.

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