Captivating Reef Dwellers

One of the most fascinating fish on the reef, moray eels come in nearly every size and color from the tiny, bright blue ribbon eel, the smallest averaging only 25 cm long, to the black speckled giant moray which can grow up to 4 meters in length! In fact, there are nearly 200 different species. Most morays are marine dwelling fish, but several species have been seen in brackish water, and just a few are found in fresh water. They are clearly distinguishable from the other reef fish with their long, slithering bodies, pointy snouts full of sharp teeth, and long dorsal fins that run the entire length of their bodies. No matter the species, these animals are always an exciting site to see while scuba diving.

They can live in both tropical and temperate waters but are mostly found inhabiting coral reefs in warm seas all throughout the world. If you are diving on a warm water reef, chances are there is a moray eel somewhere nearby, you just have to find it. They are usually seen with their heads poking out from the reef and their mouths oscillating open and closed, a behavior often times mistaken as aggressiveness, but is actually the way in which they keep water pumping past their gills for respiration. If you have always wanted to dive with moray eels, check out all of the dive sites around the world on the map below where they have been seen.