Stingrays

The spectacular scene was captured as the magnificent creatures made one of their biannual mass migrations to more agreeable waters.

Gliding silently beneath the waves they turned vast areas of blue water to gold off the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. The surface of the water was covered by warm and different shades of gold and looked like a bed of autumn leaves gently moved by the wind; it's hard to say exactly how many there were but in the range of a few thousand; according to the amateur photographer who took the above photo.

Stingrays are commonly found in the shallow coastal waters of temperate seas. They spend the majority of their time inactive, partially buried in sand, often moving only with the sway of the tide.

Stingray's eyes are on top of their body and their mouths on the underside, stingrays cannot see their prey, instead they use smell and electro-receptors similar to those of sharks. Stingrays feed primarily on mollusks, crustaceans, and occasionally on small fish. Coral reefs are favorite feeding grounds and are usually shared with sharks during high tide.

Barbecued stingray is commonly served in Singapore and Malaysia.