Deep-Sea Rays on Vailuluʻu Seamount

While exploring the slopes outside the caldera of Vailuluʻu Seamount, our Corps of Exploration captured this gorgeous footage of deepsea stingrays (misidentified initially as skates). Filming with ROV Hercules, we encountered both individuals over 500 meters deep near the crater rim of this active volcano. Rays and skates are closely related but with some noticeable differences. Skates have stockier tails and, unlike rays, lay eggs, making them oviparous rather than ovoviviparous (producing young using eggs hatched within the parent's body). These exploration dives were the first to explore the deeper slopes of Vailulu'u Seamount outside the summit caldera, helping to expand understanding of biodiversity within the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. 

The E Mamana Ou Gataifale II expedition (NA165) is led by Ocean Exploration Trust and funded by NOAA Ocean Exploration, NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations Uncrewed Systems Operations Center, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute in partnership with the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa and with support from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Air/Sea Heritage Foundation.