Munk's devil ray (mobula) (Mobula munkiana), illustration

Protected Mobula munkiana

Munk's devil ray (mobula) in Los Cabos

Thousands of small rays leaping clear of the water at once. Munk's devil rays gather in huge schools in the southern Gulf of California, and scientists are only now discovering what they're doing.

Up to 1.1 mWingspan

1 pupPer pregnancy

May – JunPeak season

PrMexico (NOM-059)

When to see them

Jan·Feb●Mar●Apr●May●●Jun●●Jul●Aug·Sep Oct Nov·Dec·

●● best months · ● regular · · occasional. Based on scientific studies and local reports; it changes year to year.

Tap a month to see everything biting in Cabo that month ›

How to recognize it

The smallest devil ray: purplish gray to brown on top and white below, with a dark collar-like band across the head, a small dorsal fin without a white tip and no spine on the tail. The two lobes at the front of the head can roll up or unfold.

Biology

Munk's devil rays live in coastal waters of the eastern tropical Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Peru. They feed on zooplankton, mainly tiny shrimp-like mysids and krill, filtering it through their gills.

A female has a single pup per pregnancy, born in spring, which gives them the lowest reproductive rate known among sharks and rays. Mating peaks in May, and the first known nursery was found at Ensenada Grande, on Isla Espíritu Santo, near La Paz.

Things you probably didn't know

Named "tortilla"

Mexico's official list of protected species includes "tortilla" among the common names of this ray.

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A courtship vortex

Researchers filmed 122 rays circling clockwise together for five hours: a courtship behavior never described before.

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Piggyback leaping

During courtship, males leap out of the water and land on a female's back, sometimes over and over before mating.

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One pup at a time

A female has a single pup per pregnancy, the lowest reproductive rate of any shark or ray, which makes every animal count.

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Why do they jump?

Nobody knows for sure. The leading ideas are shaking off parasites, courtship and communication; mantas and devil rays are the sharks and rays most often seen leaping.

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Mantas are mobulas

In 2018 genetic work moved the giant manta into the genus Mobula, so today all mantas are officially devil rays.

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Photos

Munk's devil ray (mobula), photo 1 (Baja California Sur, MX) — tunicatedreamz · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0

Munk's devil ray (mobula), photo 2 (Loreto, MX-BS) — Sue Carnahan · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0

Munk's devil ray (mobula), photo 3 (Baja California Sur, MX) — Bill Levine · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0

Munk's devil ray (mobula), photo 4 (Loreto, MX-BS) — Sue Carnahan · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0

Munk's devil ray (mobula), photo 5 (Baja California Sur, MX) — Bill Levine · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0

Munk's devil ray (mobula), photo 6 (Baja California Sur, MX) — MarvalPhotography19 · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0

Seeing them from the boat

The big leaping schools appear in the southern Gulf of California, mainly from February into July, with a peak in May and June; local operators also report a smaller showing in December and January. From the boat, watch for splashes and rays flying out of the water.

Watch without chasing or driving through the school. If one is hooked by accident, keep it in the water, never gaff it or grab it by the head lobes or gills, and cut the line close to the hook. Mexican law requires releasing it.

Rules & conservation

Capture (NOM-029)	Catching or keeping mobulas is banned; any caught by accident must be returned to the water
Mexico (NOM-059)	Subject to special protection (Pr)
IUCN Red List	Vulnerable (2019)
CITES	Appendix I since 2026 (Appendix II 2017–2026)

Don't confuse it with

The spinetail devil ray grows to about 3 m and has a white-tipped dorsal fin and a tail spine. The smoothtail devil ray (Mobula thurstoni) has a double curve on the front edge of each wing. The giant manta is many times larger.