Mandahl Bay is home to thousands of species of life. The largest of this wetland’s permanent residents is the Spotted Eagle ray  (Aetobatus narinari) . It can grow to be six to eight feet or more from wingtip-to-wingtip with a body-length of over 16 feet.

The large adults, common to the outer bay, venture into the brackish lagoon region occasionally. However, their young will hang around from birth through adolescence enjoying the wetland protection of Red Mangrove roots.

This video briefly follows a 7-foot adult as it feeds on mollusks and crustaceans that are attached to shoreline rocks. Note the spots on its back. The spot-pattern is an unique as human fingerprints and can be used to identify individual rays.

Spotted Eagle rays help maintain the balance of crustaceans, mollusks and small fish within the Mandahl Bay Area of Particular Concern and Area for Preservation and Reservation. It is preyed upon by sharks and dolphins.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has red-listed this ray as Near Threatened (Population decreasing)

Filmed by Karl Callwood on location at Mandahl Bay APC/APR, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. ©ClimateChangeVI.org

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