Interesting Photo of the Day: Migrating Rays

Interesting Photos

During a trip to Mexico for a “The Call of the Shark from Pelagic Life” project, free diver Eduardo Lopez Negrete went off the coast of Baja, Mexico to help detach sharks from long fishermen’s lines. While common to catch sight of a few rays, Negrete managed to photograph hundreds of them when an entire school of Mobula rays flowed past him. Often referred to as “flying rays”, Mobula rays are known for their partiality for breaching and their ability to leap up to six feet into the air:

Oceanic Flight by Eduardo Lopez Negrete (Via updrop. Click image to see full size.)

These majestic creatures may look scary, but they’re generally harmless. However, with a wingspan of up to 17 feet and weighing over a ton, I know I wouldn’t want to press my luck. To keep up with rays, Negete dove down to get a closer look at the massive grouping. Swimming to a depth of around 60 feet, he captured a variety of different photos with the rays (including a selfie).

“The rays were moving quite fast and it was hard enough keeping up with them from the surface, let alone diving down to take a closer look.” –Eduardo Lopez Negrete about his experience