Skate Fish
The Ray’s Close Cousin
Skates are a large suborder of cartilaginous fish within the ray family, consisting of more than 150 different species. They are similar to electric rays and stingrays with their flat body shape, flat pectoral fins extending the length of their bodies, and mouths located on the underside of the body. They are benthic feeders, spending the majority of their time camouflaged on the ocean’s floor and are distinguishable from other rays with their round to diamond-shaped form, sharp “noses,” and two dorsal fins on their tail.
With an abundant population and wide distribution, they are commonly sighted amongst scuba divers. In fact, skates can be found in most parts of the world from the warm tropical waters circling the equator to near-Arctic waters of the northern hemisphere, and live in both shallow and extremely deep areas of the ocean. Want to go diving with skates? Explore the map below for the most popular dive sites where they have been encountered.
Popular dive sites
Block 24
16 Logged dives • 6 Sightings Another lovely shore dive with lots of fish life, it can also be done by a boat drop just 3 or 4-minutes (1km) from the resort, visibility is typically low at around 6m/20’ however excellent for searching for critters and can be dived 24-hours a day. This is best dived on an incoming tide. Enjoy!Fiji
Aida (Wreck)
1188 Logged dives • 211 Sightings Real name "Alga", this wreck is located 8 km from the coast and the center. It lies at a maximum depth of 20 m. Leaving Palermo on October 7, 1942, this heavily armed Italian military cargo ship was torpedoed off the coast of Djerba on October 9, 1942 by the British submarine "Unbeding".Tunisia
Ilha Montão de Trigo
46 Logged dives • 8 Sightings The island of Montão de Trigo, sometimes called Ilha Monte de Trigo, is an island in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It is located between the Bertioga bay and São Sebastião channel, approximately 10 km from the mainland. The island has a conical shape that resembles, as the name implies, a pile of wheat.Brazil
Sidi Bakour
88 Logged dives • 15 Sightings Sidi Bakour is a fascinating dive site off the Tunisian island of Djerba. Suitable for divers of all levels, this site offers depths ranging from 5 to 30 meters. Divers can explore sandy seabeds dotted with rocks and posidonia meadows.Tunisia
