As you continue your journey, you will stumble upon Ray Bay, one of our most popular galleries, featuring four species of stingray and one species of shark!
Here at Ray Bay you can see how some rays use their flattened bodies and large, modified pectoral fins like wings to “fly” through the water. Rays move with incredible grace and the large observation window at Ray Bay offers the perfect opportunity for guests of all ages to experience the thrill of getting up close and personal with some captivating marine animals.
This beautiful ray consists of three species that inhabit tropical waters in the Atlantic, Indo-Pacific and East Pacific. Deserving of the name eagle ray, they are known to jump completely out of the water to escape predators or dislodge parasites. You can easily spot our eagle rays because they are covered in beautiful spotted markings!
Cownose rays form schools of as many as 10,000 to migrate. It is thought that they use water temperature and the orientation of the sun to help guide them. Using their frontal lobes (named after a cow’s nose), they sift through the ocean floor looking for tasty clams, snails, crabs and other invertebrates.
The ocellate river stingray is one of the few rays that has evolved in freshwater environments from a marine ancestor! These stingrays can often be found camouflaging in with the sandy bottom of rivers and streams. Watch your step because they can deliver a painful sting!
Southern stingrays can bury themselves in the sand in a split second, keeping only their eyes and spiracles visible. Like other rays, they feed on shellfish and crustaceans along the bottom of the ocean. Ray Bay is home to only female southern stingrays because they can have up to 10 pups at a time!
The largest of the whip-tail rays, roughtail rays have long, slender tails with rows of small thorny plates and a venomous barb. With a tail growing up to 2.5 times the length of the body and weighing up to 600 lbs, the roughtail is a gentle giant, only stinging in self defence.
One of the smallest members of the hammerhead shark family, bonnethead sharks have round and narrow heads. The purpose of the unique head shapes of hammerheads is believed to help provide a wider sense of smell and electroreception
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is designated as a Certified Autism Center by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).
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