A group of 20 to 30 Southern eagle rays, Myliobatis goodei, were filmed at Moonta Bay jetty at the end of March 2026. Footage of the group can be seen on Facebook . Abbie told ABC Adelaide and ABC North and West, “It was an amazing sight to see — they were just swimming around together for about 10 minutes.
According to a Copilot search, “A group of stingrays is called a fever, reflecting the frenetic, high-energy activity observed when they gather in large numbers.”
Copilot went on to explain “Why the Term “Fever” is Used”: –
“The term fever does not refer to temperature but to the restless, agitated, and swirling movement of stingrays when they congregate in large groups, often during feeding, mating, or migration. This collective noun captures the dynamic energy of these gatherings, similar to how a “murder” of crows or a “shiver” of sharks describes their group behavior. When hundreds or even thousands of stingrays move together, the water appears to shimmer or boil, creating a visual impression of feverish activity.
Copilot then went on to describe the “Behavioral Context” of a fever of stingrays: –
“Stingrays are generally solitary creatures, but they form groups for specific biological reasons such as mating, feeding and migration: –
“Mating: Large gatherings help stingrays find suitable partners.
Feeding: Abundant food sources attract multiple rays to the same location, increasing competition and activity.
Migration: Congregating in groups provides safety in numbers during long-distance travel.”
Further, “These fevers can involve thousands of individuals, and the collective movement can significantly impact the ecosystem, such as stirring up sediment and oxygenating the ocean floor.”
The East Sunday (5th April 2026) edition of the Sunday Mail reported that scientists from James Cook University had worked out just why Ocellated eagle rays off the Queensland coast breach the water surface.
Drones were used to film eagle rays. The drone footage showed that the eagle rays were either interacting with fish or being chased by a predator. The breaching by the rays was thought to possibly be their attempts to avoid predators or get rid of irritating remoras, famous for attaching to sharks and rays.
According to Wikipedia, “The ocellated eagle ray or the whitespotted eagle ray, Aetobatus ocellatus, is a species of cartilaginous fish in the eagle ray family Myliobatidae*. It is found in the tropical Indo-West Pacific region.”
* (The same family as the Southern eagle ray (Myliobatis goodei).)