A Ray of Electric Blue - Observation of the Week, 12/13/22

Our Observation of the Week is this Bluespotted Fantail Ray (Taeniura lymma), seen off of Kenya by @dzivulajr_03!

Dzivula Gube was born in coast Kenyan, around the town of Malindi, but unfortunately did not spend much time in the ocean.

As a kid, I grew up not knowing much about what lies below the waves due to some community laws that prohibited kids from going into the ocean. We were told to believe that the ocean was the biggest enemy for kids. For me, those were the saddest moments in my life as I [later] came to realize how beautiful it is being under the world’s finest wilderness.

With the ongoing climate change campaigns, it was not too long before I realized that something was not right within our nature. Forests were disappearing at a very fast rate, wild animals dying of hunger, corals bleaching and dying due to increase in atmospheric temperatures. Fishermen were greatly impacted, and so was I. It was a pity not knowing what to do to help solve the crisis.

During his third year at university, Dzivula took his first scuba dive.

It was the best feeling I have ever had. One thing immediately caught my sight, it was the beautiful schools of fish (Lutjanus kasmira - as I came to learn later) swimming around a reef. This was the moment that the seed for my passion and love for nature was sowed into my life. The questions that I got from my family and friends about the underwater world really prompted me to think of carrying a camera on my next dive. Since that day the C in SCUBA has meant something else, something like a camera. I don't want to dive without it. Each time I am on a coral reef restoration dive, I take the camera with me. I love taking photos of fish and corals and telling story about not only the beauty of our underwater world but also the need for us to protect it.

Still diving, Dzivula currently works as a reef ranger at Shimoni with Reefolution Kenya, and also as a photographer, filmmaker, and storyteller with AFRISOS. While on a dive last month, Dzivula came across the colorful ray you see above.

Each time I get out of the water from a dive I usually feel happy, having contributed something towards nature conservation and looking forward to my next dive. It was one of these fine moments that I came across the Taeniura lymma relaxing within our artificial reefs. I had to be cautious not to scare it off given that they usually tend to be super shy. Took some shots starting from a bit far but each time adjusting my distance by moving closer and closer. It was so relaxed. This shot was from just about 3 cm away from the camera (Nikon Coolpix)...

On the boat after the dive, all I was thinking about was getting to my computer as fast as possible to upload the photo to iNaturalist. After all, I wasn't sure about the species name.

Ranging throughout much of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans, bluespotted fantail rays are small bottom feeders (about 35 cm/ 14 in wide) that rest in reefs and other shelters during the day before heading out at night to hunt. While shy, this ray does possess defensive venomous spines on its tail (which has two electric blue stripes). It’s listed as “Least Concern” by the IUCN Redlist, and it’s caught for food in some areas. It’s also sometimes caught for aquarium use but generally does not survive long in captivity.

Dzivula (above) was introduced to iNaturalist just a few months ago by a friend. 

It has really helped me with species identification. In addition to giving me the opportunity to interact with different people around the world and morale to continue uploading new observations, it also helps me learn new species, especially fish. With iNaturalist I get to see new organisms that I never thought existed. Each day, iNaturalist brings you something to light your day!

(Photo of Dzivula by TonyWild. Some quotes have been lightly edited for clarity.)

- You can follow Dzivula on Twitter and Instagram.

- Here’s some cool bluespotted fantail ray footage.

- Check out this article on the “trabecular cartilage” that’s in cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonasus) jaws.

- @gurveena, another marine conservationist in Kenya, photographed a lizard that was a previous Observation of the Week!

Posted on December 13, 2022 11:42 PM by tiwane