Myliobatis tenuicaudatus · Myliobatiformes
Cabbage Tree Bay · Sydney · NSW
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The Encounter
You usually see them before you hear them.
A shadow moving just above the sand at Cabbage Tree Bay, wings rising and falling in slow, deliberate rhythm. From behind, they don’t feel like fish at all, more like something airborne, gliding through open space.
They don’t stop. They don’t linger.
They pass through quietly, covering distance with ease, following their own path across the bay. And just as quickly as they arrive, they fade back into the blue.
Encounters like this are brief, but they stay with you.
The Animal
01
Wings
Their large pectoral fins move like wings, giving them a distinctive flying motion through the water
02
Diet
They feed on shellfish and crustaceans, using strong, flat teeth to crush hard shells
03
Senses
Eagle rays can detect prey buried beneath the sand using electroreceptors, allowing them to hunt without seeing their target.
04
Behaviour
Often seen alone or in small groups, they are constantly on the move, rarely staying in one place for long.
There is nothing in the ocean quite like watching a ray move through open water.
Why This Matters
Why This Matters
Southern Eagle Rays are a regular presence in Sydney’s coastal waters, but like much of marine life, their visibility depends on healthy habitats.
Seagrass beds and sandy flats, like those found in Cabbage Tree Bay, provide essential feeding grounds where rays can search for buried prey.
Protecting these environments ensures that these quiet, passing encounters continue to happen, not just for divers and swimmers, but for the balance of the ecosystem itself.
Because even the most fleeting visitors play a role in the ocean’s story.
Seagrass beds and sandy flats, like those found in Cabbage Tree Bay, provide essential feeding grounds where rays can search for buried prey.
Protecting these environments ensures that these quiet, passing encounters continue to happen, not just for divers and swimmers, but for the balance of the ecosystem itself.
Because even the most fleeting visitors play a role in the ocean’s story.
Up to 1.5 metres
Wingspan
Crushes Shellfish
Feeding Style
Gliding Flight
Movement
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