The Clock — Extend dive time with physical fitness

Tick tock tick tock. Have you ever heard someone say, “There goes 15 minutes of my life I will never get back?” While there are many different philosophies and applications of time, most divers don’t want to waste it. Instead, divers carefully invest some of their precious time, energy and money planning and preparing for their ideal SCUBA experience.

Spotted eagle rays have been observed in Keys waters, but little is known about where they spend most of their time. (Image above is a unrelated filephoto)

Help keep an eye out for spotted eagle rays

In 2009, Mote Marine Laboratory with the National Aquarium in Baltimore initiated a conservation research program on the life history, reproduction, and population status of the elasmobranch Aetobatus narinari, commonly known as the spotted eagle ray To identify where these rays migrate, Mote has tagged animals with traditional tags and with satellite tags that allow the rays’ movements to be followed as they travel.

We don't know if the rays in the Keys come from Southwest Florida, or perhaps even Mexico or Cuba, and we don't know if rays in the Keys favor particular reefs

—Mote biologist Kim Hull