It’s no secret that we here at Aquaviews are somewhat obsessed with rays of all kinds, whether they live in Florida, the Pacific, the Coral Sea, or anywhere else in the ocean at large. Rays are part of a large subclass of cartilaginous fishes called elasmobranchs, which also includes sharks and skates, and have inhabited our planet’s oceans for roughly 400 million years. This fact alone makes them one of the most impressive marine creatures on Earth.
Their ability to impress doesn’t stop there, however, most notably in the case of Mobula rays. These rays closely resemble manta rays, weighing up to a ton with huge wingspans that can stretch as far as 17 feet across. The ocean environment is ideal for their incredible bulk, where little annoyances like gravity are of no concern, allowing the animal to “fly” gracefully through the seas at great speeds or lilt curiously over a diver blowing bubbles.
So would it surprise you to learn that the Mobula ray actually can and does fly, in a sense, outside of water? True story! In fact, Mobula rays are so often caught exhibiting their aerodynamic talent that they are commonly known in many parts of the world as “flying rays,” with breaches of up to two meters above the surface reported by marine scientists. While reasons for the dramatic breaches remain unknown, along with much of the rest of the lives of Mobula rays, one thing that is sure is how spectacular of an event a breach is, particularly when done en masse.
Don’t believe us? You don’t have to take our word for it — check out this awe-inspiring footage taken by National Geographic of a spirited school of Mobula rays off the Baja Peninsula spreading their wings and touching the skies.
