''Ray Reef'' is a
ray
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (g ...
exhibit located at the
Sea World theme park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
on the
Gold Coast,
Australia. The exhibit opened on 14 January 2009.
History
Following the closure and removal of the
Thrillseeker roller coaster
A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides ar ...
in May 2002, several proposals were made for the site. In 2005, a seal exhibit, aptly named
Seal Rocks, was proposed for the area. From 2006 to 2008 the site was home to the temporary
Sea World Eye.
Following the removal of the Sea World Eye in 2008,
was proposed for the site. In September 2008, work began on the site for a yet-to-be-named ray exhibit. By October, the name of the exhibit was announced to be Ray Reef. It was originally scheduled that the exhibit would open on Boxing Day 2008 (26 December 2008), however, a number of delays forced it to open on 14 January 2009.
Exhibit
''Ray Reef'' consists of a large lagoon pool and a smaller pool which together are home to more than 100 rays.
The Ray Reef area is located under large shade cloths providing shade for guests and rays alike.
The whole lagoon is divided in two by a rock wall. The smaller pool contains smaller rays whilst the larger pool contains larger rays.
Species within the exhibit include
eagle ray
The eagle rays are a group of cartilaginous fishes in the family Myliobatidae, consisting mostly of large species living in the open ocean rather than on the sea bottom.
Eagle rays feed on mollusks and crustaceans, crushing their shells with the ...
s,
bluespotted stingrays,
estuary stingray
The estuary stingray (''Hemitrygon fluviorum''), also called the estuary stingaree or brown stingray, is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. Endemic to eastern Australia, it typically inhabits shallow, mangrove-lined tidal rivers, ...
s and
giant shovelnose rays.
For a set fee, guests are able to purchase fish to hand feed the rays.
Circling the main lagoon are a series of educational billboards which provide a variety of information about rays and their environment.
See also
*
Stingray Lagoon at SeaWorld Orlando, a similar style of exhibit
References
External links
*
*
{{Sea World
Amusement rides introduced in 2009