Rays
Shark and ray populations are in sharp decline worldwide. They are top predators that control the natural balance in fish populations and are thus important for fisheries. Sharks and rays are also a key attractor for dive tourism.
Often, opportunistic shark and ray observations are done during organized dives. Dive schools keep record of these observations to provide information on the occurrence of shark and ray species, as well as their relative abundance per dive site.
Records of observations are registered per dive by the dive operator after debriefing with the divers. Data include species names and depth of observation.
- Saba (Ray sightings per dive)
- St. Maarten (Ray sightings per dive)
- Bonaire (Ray sightings per dive)
Saba
Data provided by: Sea Saba
Data analysis by: Wageningen University and Research
For a distribution of ray (and shark) sightings across the dive locations on Saba, visit sharks page, under section Saba.
St. Maarten
Data provided by: Nature Foundation St Maarten in collaboration with Dive adventures, Ocean Explorer, Scuba Fun, Dive Safaris, Dive Sint Maarten
Data analysis by: Wageningen University and Research
Bonaire
Data provided by: Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance in collaboration with Bas Tol, Carib Inn, East Coast diving
Data analysis by: Wageningen University and Research
