Do you know how many different types of stingrays you can see in the Maldives?

The exact number isn’t perfectly clear, but marine researchers generally estimate that around 30–40 different species of stingrays can be found in the Maldives!

This diversity comes from the country’s wide range of habitats — shallow lagoons, coral reefs, sandy flats, and deeper ocean channels — all of which support different types of rays.

Eagle rays, mantas rays and stingrays are often confused. The distinctions are:

• The eagle ray has a pointed snout almost like a duck. It is black on the top with white spots and has a long tail. I can be solitary but also can be encountered in big groups. Mostly you will see it swimming in mid water.
• The manta ray has a very big mount to scoop up its favourite food – plankton. With a wing span of about 4m it is much bigger than the others.
• The stingray has a disc like shape its mouth is located on the bottom, therefore it lives near the sandy bottom.

Almost all stingrays have a barb/blade in their tail. The blade has many little barbs which get lodged in the victim. These barbs also contain venom. However, they will only use this as their final defence if they feel extremely threatened or if surprised (accidently stepped on). Just like any other sea creature if the stingray is not provoked and given space these species are not threating, and very cool to see while in the water!

Let’s have a look which ones they are:

Porcupine Ray – it is one of the most unusual species found in the Maldives. Its name comes from its rough, thorn-like skin texture. It spends much of its time partially buried, using camouflage to avoid predators and to ambush prey such as small fish and crustaceans. Its round body and white to sandy coloration help it to blend into its surroundings. The porcupine ray has no venomous spine. However an adult can still defend itself with the many large sharp thorns found over its disc and tail.

Pink Whipray – it is easily recognized by its soft pinkish coloration. This ray lives in shallow lagoons and reef flats, where it glides gracefully over the seabed. The pink whipray is a skilled hunter, using electroreception to detect prey hidden beneath the sand. Its long, slender tail—equipped with a venomous barb—serves as a defence mechanism against threats.

The Cowtail also known as Feathertail Stingray – it is about 1.8m wide and 3m long. It lives in sandy lagoons. This species gets its name from the distinctive folds along its tail, giving it a feather-like appearance. Feathertail stingrays are generally docile and are often seen resting on the ocean floor during the day. At night, they become more active, feeding on worms, molluscs, and small crustaceans. They can blow on the sand to expose their prey. They have a single venomous spine but not to worry, they are very shy and often swim away when approached by divers.

The Small Eye Stingray – it lives in deeper waters is one of the larger species with up to 2.2m in size. At birth it will be around 33cm. This ray is brown in colour and is covered in denticles. As the name already says, it has small eyes.

Electric ray – it is a small ray with a max size of 65cm. It is usually seen near reefs on sandy or rubble floors. They have a set of powerful electric organs to stun prey and give divers a nasty shock. They feed on bony fish including eels. They have an expandable stomach that accommodates some prey which may be very large.

Mangrove or White-Spotted Whipray – it gets up to 1.4m in size and is already a whooping 55 – 60 cm at birth. It likes shallow lagoons and water with poor visibility including mangroves where they feed on small crustaceans. Its colour is dark grey to black, dusted with white spots. It has one or more venomous spines and a white whip like tail after the spine. It has a circular body with denticles on the head and along the midline of the tail. It feeds on small fish, molluscs and crustaceans.

Jenkins Whip Ray – with 1,5m in size, it is yellow-brown in colour and has a long whip-like tail. It has denticles on the centre of its disc. This ray doesn’t have just one but 3 venomous spines. Its favourites foods are molluscs and crustaceans.

The Blotched Fantail Ray – is seen more often while diving. They can get very big up to 180cm. This species is easily identifiable due to its unique coloration, a deep grey with dark spots.

Some of these species are frequently encountered by snorkelers and divers, especially in shallow areas, while others remain elusive due to their preference for deeper or more remote environments.

On your next holiday in the Maldives keep an eye out for stingrays while diving, snorkelling and even while walking around the islands you might even spot one from the beach!  After reading this you may even be able to identify them which stingray you saw.