Jill sends this photo and explains, “Out walking the dog on the beach at low tide and saw this dead Manta Ray, or so I think. found south of the Arroyos during low tide. Anyone know, is this common for Puget Sound?” We know “skates” can be found in cold waters – “manta rays” tend to be tropical – any thoughts on Jill’s discovery? Here’s another photo, for scale:
One possibility we’ve come across so far: A “big skate.”
That’s not a Manta Ray, most likely a Longnose Skate… since those actually do live in our waters here and look like that. Manta Ray’s don’t look like that.
It does appear to be a skate – I think skates are more pointy on the wings than most rays, more diamond-shaped. That’s crazy that it washed up on the beach. I’ve lived in the NW all my life, and have never seen one.
Cool discovery!
Finder might want to contact Seattle Aquarium or State Dept of Fish, if she hasn’t already. If it is a longnose, and it probably is, they are infrequently observed these says, according to what I just quickly researched. I’ve been an education docent and volunteer at both the Seattle Aquarium and Tacoma’s Point Defiance Aquarium and I never saw one. Never have known anyone who saw one. Scientists would
appreciate the data it could provide, no doubt.
Wish I had the links and ph #’s handy for you,
but I think they won’t be too difficult to track down.
Thanks for sharing your find with all!
all sorts of crazy things washing up at Alki. My boss’ kid found an abalone shell a few weeks ago at low tide – definitely not native to here.
Yes, a long nose skate. Unusual, but not rare around West Seattle. I have caught a few near Blake Island. One time I tried to clean and eat one, but it tasted like rubber.
Attached is a web site that has more info on this creature: http://www.elasmodiver.com/Longnose_skate.htm
Holy cow! I have never seen a skate that BIG!
“My boss’ kid found an abalone shell a few weeks ago at low tide – definitely not native to here”
Eh? Yes they are, they’re just not common to see these days after they were over harvested by non natives. Natives used them on blankets for decorative features. Marine Biologists would be interested to know of abalone finds in the low tides here as they are incredibly rare to see anymore.
We find one of those washed up almost every summer on our beach at Indianola. Just had one last week – usually they look like they’ve been hit by a boat propeller…the boys sure think they’re cool!
It’s a skate. We used to catch those off the Point Defiance Boathouse dock in Tacoma. You can pick it up by reaching into its mouth and grabbing the lower jaw. You can eat the ‘wings’.
This is a skate. When I was younger, I was fishing with my dad and my sister and actually caught one of these with my fishing pole! We put it in the bow of the boat for a bit but then threw it back because it started to move around a bit and we didn’t want to get hurt.
How cool. Another creature I wasn’t aware of that lives in our waters.
It is a skate (I am the ‘Ray’ lol)
Funny how on WSB you have people excited to see one posting alongside people excited to analyze and preserve one alongside people excited to eat one! LOL
WSB is quite the melting pot…
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