Shark and Ray Awareness Day

Shark and Ray Day

Join the Oregon Coast Aquarium in celebrating Shark and Ray Day on July 14th.

Sharks and Rays belong to a group of fish called Elasmobranchs. Elasmobranchs differ from other fish in that they have skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone. Over the course of 400 million years, a staggering array of over 1,200 species have evolved diverse physical and behavioral adaptations that have afforded them a critical role in marine food webs and ocean health. Our understanding of sharks and rays is ever-evolving, with new species being discovered and described all the time. However, there is still much to be learned to properly support effective, science-based conservation for all species. The Oregon Coast Aquarium features 8 elasmobranch species including sharks, rays, skates and chimaeras.

What’s Happening When?

More in store!

Check back closer to the event to see what’s happening when as we finalize the event schedule!

Aquarium Elasmobranch Happenings!

Skating Through Life

After arriving from Seaside Aquarium, this beautiful adult male Big Skate found an ideal home in our Halibut Flats. He can be seen skating through the exhibit alongside rockfish and sturgeon. The Big Skate is the largest skate in North America. The largest Big Skate on record was eight feet long! Big skates are known to live for as long as 26 years.

You can find skates in our Passages of the Deep tunnels, or juvenile skates in our indoor gallery Sandy Coast.

Baby Bat Rays

Even after closing to the public in mid-March of 2020 due to Covid-19, life at the Aquarium continued to thrive. After confirming multiple California Bat Ray pregnancies through ultrasounds in January 2020, we moved all of the pregnant females into the “maternity ward” off exhibit to give them a safe, quiet place to give birth. We’ve been welcoming small litters of baby bat rays ever since!

Since the mothers do not provide any maternal care, we move the newborns to our bat ray nursery where we can better monitor their health and make sure each of the pups is eating and growing properly.

Bat rays breed annually, usually in the spring and summer. After a 9-12 month gestation period, bat rays give live birth to small pups usually ranging from 10-12 inches wide that look just like their parents. Most females will give birth to 2-10 pups at a time, depending on the size of the mother. The pups are born tail-first with their wings wrapped over their body. There is a sheath that covers their venomous barb in order to protect the mother during birth that sloughs off a few days after birth.

All of the bat ray pups have been doing very well in their new home and they continue to grow rapidly. The young pups enjoy cuddling and playing together, swimming in their kelp, and most of all, eating. Their favorite foods consist of clam, shrimp, crab, and squid. The 2020 births were especially exciting for the Oregon Coast Aquarium because they were the first time California Bat Rays have been born here in the Aquarium’s history!

Fun Facts: Is it a skate or a ray?

The Oregon Coast Aquarium has one species of ray (California bat ray) and one species of skate (Big skate). They are both closely related to sharks but they are flatter in shape which makes them suitable for life on the sea-floor. Skates and rays are similar in that their mouths, gills and nostrils are located on the underside of their body while their eyes are on top.

But what makes skates and rays different? With over 600 species of skates and rays worldwide, identifying them can be tricky.

Here are a few ways that they differ:

The tail of a skate tends to be stockier and more similar to a shark while rays have slender, whip-like tails. Some rays have a stinging spine on the tail, which skates don’t have. Many skates do have thorny projections on their backs and tails to help protect them from predators.

Skates have small teeth, while Rays have plate-like teeth adapted for crushing prey.

Both typically have a “bottom feeder” diet of mollusks, small fishes, and other invertebrates.

Rays give birth to live, fully-formed young (viviparous) while skates lay eggs (oviparous). Skate eggs are released in rectangular pouches sometimes called “mermaid’s purses.” Egg cases from Big skates can measure up to 12 inches and may contain up to 7 embryos! You can find egg cases on Oregon beaches so the next time you are strolling along the water, keep your eyes peeled and you may get lucky enough to find a “mermaid’s purse.”

Shark Feeding

Have you ever wondered how we feed our sharks at the aquarium?

Sharks don’t eat as much food as you may think! On average, the sharks only eat about 2-3% of their body weight every week. Compared with our sea otters who eat 25% of their body weight EVERY DAY, the sharks are very dainty diners! Here at the aquarium we offer our sharks restaurant quality seafood 3 days per week. The sharks are target fed, which means that they are conditioned to swim to stations marked by PVC signs or targets to get their food. We have different targets for different species of shark. Once a shark swims to the proper place, an aquarist will offer them food on a big pole with prongs on the end like a fork.

Want a close up view of a shark feed?

Elasmobranch Medical Exam

Elasmobranchs, just like the other residents at the Aquarium, receive quality care from aquarists and veterinary staff to ensure they are thriving.

Curious what happens during an elasmobranch check-up?

Shark Live Camera

Want a shark and ray fix? Oregon Coast Aquarium’s open sea live camera lets you take a look into our Passages of the Deep: Open Sea exhibit. Check out sharks, rays, and many more types of fish year ’round!

Please note that the live camera is offline from 8:00pm – 8:00am, PST