In this article I wanted to present the various rays you can encounter in the Andaman sea. Most of the pictures below were taken in the Mergui Archipelago located off the coast of Myanmar and some in Surin and Similan islands in Thailand...



I will start with the rays spending most of their time laying on the sea floor such as the stingrays and then about the pelagic rays through the Andaman Sea: they swim mid water from the depth all the way to the surface and travel long distances such as eagle rays and Manta rays!
Just like sharks, rays have no bones but a skeleton made up of cartilage. Large pectoral fins linked to their body and head give rays a range of shapes from round to triangle and sometimes even diamond shapes that help us to identify each species. They use these fins like a bird flaps its wings to fly through the water with calm hypnotizing movements. Although they all have flattened plate-like bodies, they each have unique traits that characterize them.
Sometimes nicknames Sea Flap Flap, rays are never aggressive to divers. They are shy creatures usually avoiding confrontation and prefer the "running away" strategy.

-Andaman Sea Rays found on the seafloor
-Stingrays
Often hiding under the sand, blue spotted sting ray are usually spotted running away from the divers getting a little too close to their linking...



Khul’s stingray or blue spotted stingray (Neotrygon kuhlii) lying on the bottom...small size up to 50 cm diameter it lives near the surface but can go at greater depth up to 90 m...

Every diver has a favorite when it comes to marine life, whether you want to be dwarfed by massive whales, or dazzled by the camouflage and colors of cephalopods. Each individual has creatures that float their boat (pun intended) more than others, but one of the more common fascinations amongst divers is with rays. In the earth’s waters, approximately 630 species of rays and skate exist of all shapes and sizes. The Mergui Archipelago is a paradise rich in biodiversity that proudly puts a variety of spectacular marine species on parade. Blotched sting ray are some of the most popular in the Andaman sea...
"Black Rock" in the Mergui Archipelago, is a pretty famous dive site where we have spotted up to 50 mantas at once. It has been established by Andrea Marshall, the queen of Mantas that Black Rock may very well be the mating station where you could see the biggest All oceanic mantas gathering in the world !
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