Animal Guide

Atlantic Stingray

33 destinations · 19 states

Native Range: Western Atlantic Ocean, from the eastern United States to northern South America

Atlantic stingrays are easy to overlook at first because they often rest quietly on the bottom, blending into sand and shallow seafloor habitats. Watch closely and you may see the edges of the body ripple as the ray moves, almost like a flying carpet gliding underwater. Their broad pectoral fins provide most of the movement, while the long tail trails behind. At an aquarium, look for the spiracles on top of the head. These openings allow the ray to draw in water while it rests partly buried in the sand. Atlantic stingrays use their flattened bodies to move over sandy and muddy bottoms while searching for small fish, crustaceans, and other prey. Their eyes sit on top of the head, giving them a good view while much of the body remains close to the seafloor. A close look also reveals the tail spine, which is used for defense rather than hunting. Watching a stingray glide away from the bottom shows how smoothly its unusual body is built for life along the seafloor.

Atlantic Stingray

Where to see Atlantic Stingray

33 destinations across 19 states

33 destinations

ABQ BioPark Aquarium

Albuquerque, NM

Aquarium of Niagara

Niagara Falls, NY

BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo

Baton Rouge, LA

Brevard Zoo

Melbourne, FL

Downtown Aquarium

Houston, TX

Essex County Turtle Back Zoo

West Orange, NJ

Gladys Porter Zoo

Brownsville, TX

Jacksonville Zoo & Botanical Gardens

Jacksonville, FL

Jenkinson's Aquarium

Point Pleasant Beach, NJ

Layton Aquarium & Wildlife

Layton, UT

Long Island Aquarium

Riverhead, NY

Marineland Dolphin Adventure

St. Augustine, FL

Mississippi Aquarium

Gulfport, MS

Moody Gardens

Galveston, TX

Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium

Sarasota, FL

Mystic Aquarium

Mystic, CT

National Aquarium

Baltimore, MD

New England Aquarium

Boston, MA

North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher

Kure Beach, NC

OdySea Aquarium

Scottsdale, AZ

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium

Omaha, NE

Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach, SC

SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium

Tempe, AZ

SEA LIFE at Mall of America

Bloomington, MN

SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord

Concord, NC

Shreveport Aquarium

Shreveport, LA

South Carolina Aquarium

Charleston, SC

St. Augustine Aquarium

St. Augustine, FL

St. Louis Aquarium

St. Louis, MO

Tennessee Aquarium

Chattanooga, TN

Texas State Aquarium

Corpus Christi, TX

The Florida Aquarium

Tampa, FL

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

Virginia Beach, VA

Your ZooHopper Passport

Turn your wildlife adventures into a Passport

Keep track of the zoos, aquariums, safari parks, and wildlife destinations you've visited—and save the places you want to explore next.

Remember every visit
Build your wishlist
Collect Passport Stamps
Share photos & contribute

Create Your Passport

Dan's Passport

Places: 12
States: 6
Wishlist: 9

Passport stamps

Recently visited

Bronx ZooBronx, NY
Georgia AquariumAtlanta, GA
San Diego Zoo Safari ParkEscondido, CA

MY WISHLIST

Monterey Bay AquariumMonterey, CA