Mystery stingray in Safaga

The dive sites visited by Emperor Divers in Safaga with speedboat 'Mimi' are home to many species of rays. The rare Thorny stingray is found here and in addition to the many Fantail stingrays (photo below) spotted there are also frequent encounters with single or even small groups of eagle rays.

And then we have the 'mystery ray'! It's a large black ray with pointed wings and a very long tail, which is white with black spots at the base. It's been seen swimming in the shallows of the reef and occasionally near the bottom.

Various identification suggestions have included the Southern stingray and the Mangrove stingray - only problem is the former is found in the Bahamas and the latter only exists in the Indo-Pacific!

So far our mystery ray has eluded our budding photographers, but we will keep you posted on further sightings. And any research suggestions are welcome!