A School of Rays in Mexico! - Observation of the Week, 2/28/24

Our Observation of the Week is this school of Golden Cownose Rays (Rhinoptera steindachneri, Raya tecolote in Spanish), seen in Mexico by @flore_boituzat!

Flore Boituzat grew up in the French countryside and says she’s always been interested in nature. She’s a food engineer, and tells me “I had the opportunity to do one semester in Mexico to do marine biology, that's where I started to dive and go snorkeling.”

She also met her boyfriend Alberto Alcalá (@alboertoalcala) while there, who’s a diver and an oceanologist, who introduced her to iNaturalist. 

After her semester in Mexico, Flore had to finish her last year of schooling in France but she recently returned to Mexico. “As a welcome gift, Alberto took me out for a dive where we saw all these beautiful rays. I felt really blessed. :)”

Golden cownose rays occur in the eastern Pacific Ocean, from Peru up through Mexico, and are often found in groups like this. Like other rays, it doesn’t have teeth but bony plates in its mouth for crushing its prey - mostly bottom dwelling species. It’s listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN, as it’s often caught as bycatch by artisanal gillnet and trawling fisheries. 

Flore (above) continues to use iNat, and continues to share her nature photos on iNaturalist. 

I like nature photography and he knows about the biology part, so thanks to iNaturalist I learn about the species I'm seeing, and I can also see where a species is found a well as, it’s habits and characteristics, so it's easier for me to find and to capture photos of it. I think biodiversity is part of the beauty and the magic of this planet, and to take pictures of biodiversity helps me share it; I find it very nice and fun to see what's surrounding us.

(Some quotes have been lightly edited for clarity. Photo of Flore was taken by Alberto Alcalá.)

- here’s footage of a golden cownose ray school!

Publicado el 28 de febrero de 2024 por tiwane