Spotted eagle rays Aug 19, 2025

Spotted eagle rays

It"s a bird, it"s a plane, it"s … a fish! Gliding through the ocean with flapping fins and polka-dot flair, the spotted eagle ray refuses to blend in. It doesn"t crawl along the seabed like its stingray cousins—it flies underwater. The species gets its name from—you guessed it—its protruding snout, which resembles an eagle"s beak and its distinctive spotted back, which is unique to each individual, much like fingerprints. Their wing-like pectoral fins can span over 3 metres. Near the base of the long tail are venomous spines, in case a predator gets too close. These rays aren"t aggressive, but they"re not defenceless either.

© Tui De Roy/Minden Pictures

palette

Today in History

Im ready for my close-up, Mr. DeSquirrel
Panoramic Penzance
Aug 19, 2024Raksha Bandhan

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jul 2, 2024Italica, an old Roman city in Santiponce, Andalusia, Spain
Sep 12, 2025World Dolphin Day
We’ve identified these ‘flying objects’
Feb 23, 2025Mount Fuji Day
Oct 16, 2023Golden larches and Prusik Peak, Enchantments, Washington
Gateway to Iberia
Napping near the North Pole
Dec 9, 2023India gate, New Delhi, India
Dec 17, 2025Eurasian red squirrel in Northumberland, England
Sep 1, 2024River Thames, London, England
Sep 21, 2023International Day of Peace
When just a pinch of salt won’t do
A pair of high achievers
Oct 11, 2023The Painted Hills, Oregon
Oct 21, 2024Cypress trees in George L. Smith State Park, Georgia, United States
Jul 17, 2024Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany
Saving and celebrating honey bees
The worlds most exclusive beach?
Jan 18, 2026White Sands National Park, New Mexico, United States
Purple bliss as far as the eye can see
Mar 14, 2024Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand
Jan 9, 2026Muir Woods National Monument, California, United States
Feb 18, 2026Przewalskis horses
Jul 21, 2025Staghorn coral in shallow ocean
Nov 11, 2023Chinese fishing nets in Kochi, India
Jul 12, 2025Thomsons gazelles, Maasai Mara, Kenya
Feb 12, 2024Volcán Alcedo giant tortoises
A splash of colour
Nov 11, 2024Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Huddled and hunting