Gazing carefully beneath Bermuda's Flatts Bridge, the keen eye can spy an animal resembling a "speckled pancake" cruising against a roaring tide. Even at its peak tidal flow, the powerful whitewater of Harrington Sound is not enough to deter the speckled pancake from its path; it smoothly flashes its starlit back to lucky viewers glancing down from above. A moment later, in the distant orange tinge, another speckled pancake makes an appearance, leaping through the sunset-kissed water and delivering a thunderous splash that reverberates through the grottoes of Harrington Sound. Human interactions with the majestic speckled pancake are not uncommon in Bermuda, especially in Harrington Sound, and are undoubtedly treasured by the fortunate spectator. These blissful creatures that graciously roam Bermudian waters are spotted eagle rays, Aetobatus narinari, also known as "whip morays" to many locals.

Spotted eagle rays are found in tropical waters across the globe and receive their name from the many white to golden spots that cover their dark backs. These spots vary from cup-size rings to pin-head speckles, forming a pattern that is unique to each eagle ray. Spotted eagle rays can grow to more than 10 feet in wingspan and weigh up to several hundred pounds. These creatures glide over seagrass beds and sand flats in search of shellfish, dig them up with their duck-billed snout, and utilize their strong jaws to crush the shells and suck out the meat. Despite their interesting characteristics, awesome beauty and curious behaviors, spotted eagle rays have received practically no research interest. Never before have these animals been studied in Bermuda, until now.

Matt Ajemian (right) and Chris Flook (BAMZ) posing with a 1.6 m wingspan female spotted eagle ray caught in Harrington Sound

With my Ph.D. advisor, Dr. Sean Powers, I am currently studying these fascinating creatures in conjunction with the Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS) and the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo (BAMZ), I am trying to understand the ecological role of spotted eagle rays in Bermuda, as well as their impact on bottom communities. Because of their large size and great numbers, spotted eagle rays could be significant in regulating shellfish populations in Bermuda. Spotted eagle rays are known predators of conch and clams, both of which are undergoing restoration from overharvest in Bermuda. Comprehending the ecological role and impacts of eagle rays requires us to understand their short (habitat preference) and long-term (residency) movement patterns. Since May of 2007, we have captured, photographed and measured 13 spotted eagle rays, all of which were released harmlessly back into their native environment. The purpose of these collections is to acquire basic biological information on these animals (size, sex, maturity state, food habits), and to fit them with ultrasonic transmitters for tracking experiments. The transmitters were detected by six submersible hydrophones (underwater "microphones") distributed throughout Harrington Sound and Flatts Inlet.

Preliminary data from the study show that spotted eagle rays can spend little as a few hours to as much as three weeks in Harrington Sound, and are quite frequent visitors to the region adjacent to BAMZ. We still do not understand why these animals prefer this area, though it could be represent an important feeding ground. Continued research will allow us to answer these interesting and important questions. I hope to return to Bermuda this summer (2008) and investigate foraging behavior of these rays through predator response to manipulated prey densities and fine-scale tracking of movements.