- Nudibranch
- Jorunna funebrisScientific Name
- Least ConcernIUCN Threatened Status
Blue Spotted Ribbontail Ray
One of Koh Tao’s most recognizable rays, the blue spotted ribbontail ray is often found resting beneath coral ledges or gliding across sandy seabeds. Its bright blue markings make it a favorite subject for underwater photographers.
Near Threatened
Overview
The blue spotted ribbontail ray is one of the most beautiful and recognizable rays found around Koh Tao. Its vivid electric-blue spots stand out against a golden-brown body, making it a favorite sighting for both divers and snorkelers.
These rays are commonly found resting on sandy bottoms, hiding beneath coral ledges, or gliding gracefully across shallow reef areas. They are regularly encountered at dive sites such as White Rock, Twins, Japanese Gardens, Aow Leuk, and Tanote Bay.
Blue spotted rays are generally shy animals that prefer to avoid confrontation. During the day they are often found sheltering beneath reef structures, emerging more actively at dawn, dusk, and during nighttime hours to search for crustaceans, worms, and small fish.
Like many stingrays, they possess a venomous spine on their tail used purely for defense. Divers who observe rays respectfully and avoid cornering or disturbing them have little reason for concern. The vast majority of encounters are peaceful and provide excellent photography opportunities.
The combination of striking coloration, graceful movement, and year-round sightings makes the blue spotted ribbontail ray one of the most sought-after reef species around Koh Tao. For many new divers, it is among the first rays they encounter underwater.
Identification
Frequently encountered partially buried in sand with only the upper surface of the disc and eyes visible, or resting flat on open sandy substrate between coral heads. The rounded, almost circular disc shape and the telltale blue spots breaking the surface of the sand are the cues to look for — a half-buried ray can be easy to swim over without noticing if you're not scanning the sandy bottom deliberately.
Logan Brown
Bright, iridescent blue spots of roughly uniform size are scattered across the entire dorsal surface of the disc against a yellow-brown or olive background. The spots are vivid enough to be visible from several metres in good visibility and make misidentification essentially impossible — no other ray encountered on Koh Tao shares this patterning.
Logan Brown
Conservation Notes
Blue Spotted Ribbontail Rays are not currently listed as endangered but face pressure from habitat loss, trawling, and collection for the aquarium trade across their range. On Koh Tao they are a protected species under Thai marine park regulations. Never attempt to touch or pick up a ray — the tail carries one or two venomous barbs capable of causing a serious puncture wound.
Blue Spotted Ribbontail Ray Facts
Where to find them
Blue Spotted Ribbontail Rays are one of the most consistently encountered species on Koh Tao and can turn up on almost any dive with a sandy component — the key is scanning the bottom rather than the reef face. White Rock and Twins are the most reliable sites on the island, where rays are a near-daily sighting resting on sandy patches between the coral formations. Look down and ahead simultaneously — a partially buried ray on white sand can be surprisingly easy to miss until you’re almost on top of it.
Keep Exploring
- Shark
- Rhincodon typusScientific Name
- EndangeredIUCN Threatened Status
- Fish
- Gymnothorax thyrsoideusScientific Name
- Least ConcernIUCN Threatened Status
- Fish
- Pterocaesio chrysozonaScientific Name
- Least ConcernIUCN Threatened Status