20 May 2008

An impressive sight...


Click to enlarge. Tentatively identified as cownose rays, which often school in large numbers. Source for photo unknown (found on Pixdaus).

3 comments:

  1. Hi!!
    This ray thing...is it usual? Do they usually go around in packs (or herds?) like that?
    Can you please find out some more about this!
    Thank you!
    Kind regards,
    Tess

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  2. Tess, I live about as far from the oceans as anyone in this country possibly could, so I have no personal knowledge/experience. Wikipedia says that the rays move as a group during feeding and that the group's synchronized wing flaps stir up sediment and allows them to find buried clams and oysters.

    If you Google "cownose rays" and then click on the "images" blue link there are lots of photos of herds of these rays - some of them very impressive.

    I'm not sure what the proper venereal word is for the group - perhaps I'll blog that later today!

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  3. Thankyou!
    I think they are either called a horde, or a school.
    I have a book saying what the different groups of animals are called. A murder of crows, a pod of dolphins. A gaggle of geese, etc...interesting.
    Thanks again!
    Tess

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