Spotted Eagle Ray

During my last return to the Hawaiian Islands, I made my first trip to Kauai. Snorkeling at Po'ipu Beach, I spotted this fellow from a distance and tried ...
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During my last return to the Hawaiian Islands, I made my first trip to Kauai. Snorkeling at Po'ipu Beach, I spotted this fellow from a distance and tried to work my way closer without spooking him. As I approached, I could tell that he was neither a stingray, nor a manta ray. Without knowing whether he would be aggressive or friendly, or if he had venomous barbs on his tail, I tried to keep a healthy and respectful distance. He ended up making one close pass to me that caught me off guard, before turning towards the western sun and open ocean to disappear almost as quickly as he'd appeared. Later that evening, while consorting a book on Hawai'ian fishes, I identified it as a Spotted Eagle Ray. The book description went on to say that it was highly venomous, but of no concern because I would never see one. I called that a win.
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