Spotted Eagle Rays in Aruba

Spotted eagle rays in Aruba are most reliably seen at Malmok Beach, and most reliably at dawn.

They are the animal most people remember from a trip here.

Where to find spotted eagle rays

Malmok is the best shore site for them. They are most active at dawn and dusk. So the useful window is between six and seven in the morning.

They also work the outer edges at other sites. At Arashi Beach they patrol at four to eight metres. At Tres Trapi they sit further out, at six to ten.

Mangel Halto gets them passing through the bay as well.

What you are looking at

They fly rather than swim. The wings beat in a slow, deliberate rhythm. Meanwhile, the white spots on a dark back are unmistakable once you have seen one.

Adults are large. The Florida Museum of Natural History records a disc width of over nine feet, which is close to three metres. Most of the animals here are smaller than that.

They feed on clams, urchins and other hard-shelled prey on the sandy bottom. Because of that, scan the sand as much as the reef.

How to behave near them

Stay still and stay horizontal. A ray that has not registered you as a threat will often pass directly underneath.

Do not chase one. You will not win, and you will end a sighting that could have lasted a minute.

Spotted eagle rays are not aggressive. However, the tail carries venomous spines, so never crowd one from behind. Give them room, and they will give you the encounter.

Seeing them from a boat

Boat trips out of Malmok cross the same ground. However, most of them run late morning, after the best window has closed.

For spotted eagle rays specifically, an early shore entry beats a boat. Browse the snorkel tours if you want the reef and the wreck as well.