Ray

Cownose ray

Rhinoptera bonasus

Shallow coastal and estuarine waters

Photo: (c) Devin Floyd, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY · Source and license. Displayed as a resized crop. Photograph illustrates the species.

Habitat: Shallow coastal and estuarine waters
Habitat zone: Coastal shallows; numeric depth varies by source
Viewing activities: Offshore

Life and behavior

Migrates into the Chesapeake Bay during warmer months, including for reproduction.

Seasonal context

Summer presence in Chesapeake Bay is described by the regional reference; timing varies.

RECORDED PRESENCE

Where has Cownose ray been recorded?

These destination links use the same area and date cutoff as the map: 40 km circles, except for the four named regional rectangles. Checked 2026-09-19. Counts describe source records, not individual animals or sighting odds.

Chesapeake BayVirginia & Maryland, United StatesRegional rectangle · 5944 source records since 2016About this destination →NassauThe Bahamas40 km radius · 3 source records since 2016About this destination →

Sources, search boundaries and limitations