The pink whipray is relatively common in sandy lagoon flats and slopes, often in the vicinity of patches of Halimeda algae. It and some other rays can sometimes be seen at a distance by the cloud of sand they raise up as they dig down for mollusks and burrowing echinoids. Usually one venomous spine is visible, maybe one or two spine lengths out on the tail from the posterior edge of the body. Many individuals have sharksucker remoras tagging along with them, and often are followed by small schools of jacks who try to snatch any shrimp, worms or small fish the ray scares up while digging in the sand.
A sharksucker (Echeneis naucrates) rests on the back of the ray below.
A couple of rays with their entourage of freeloading jacks.
This one has an extremely long tail.
Created 1 October 2013