Hypanus dipterurus
Silhouette: Eloisa Pinheiro Giareta · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The diamond stingray (Hypanus dipterurus) is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. It is found in the coastal waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean from southern California to northern Chile, and around the Galápagos and Hawaiian Islands. This bottom-dweller generally inhabits sandy or muddy flats near rocky reefs and kelp forests, to a depth of 30 m (98 ft), though off Hawaii it may range considerably deeper. As its common name suggests, this species has an angular, diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc that is plain brown or gray above, with rows of tubercles along the midline and on the "shoulders". The long, whip-like tail has both dorsal and ventral fin folds, which distinguish this ray from the closely similar longtail stingray (H. longa). It typically grows to 1 m (3.3 ft) across.
When searching for food, diamond stingrays may form groups of up to hundreds of individuals. It is most active at night and preys mainly on burrowing invertebrates and small bony fishes, which are extracted from the bottom via suction or digging. This species is aplacental viviparous: once the embryos exhaust their yolk supply, they are nourished by histotroph ("uterine milk") produced by the mother. Females bear 1–4 pups every summer in estuaries; mating is followed by a ten-month period of either sperm storage or arrested embryonic development, after which the embryos rapidly mature over 2–3 months. The slowest-growing stingray known, this species is not resilient against fishing pressure. It is caught for food by artisanal fishers in Latin America, particularly in Mexico where it is one of the most economically important rays. This is assessed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Though innocuous towards humans, the diamond stingray's long, venomous tail spine is potentially dangerous. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SeaWorld San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Six Flags Discovery Kingdom | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Birch Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Sea Life Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Diamond Stingray sighting in Galápagos Islands on a given day, based on 297 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 16 sharks and rays we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July, September and November–February
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Diamond Stingray in Galápagos Islands on a given day, against about 50% in May, the lowest month.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Diamond Stingray sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Diamond Stingray sightings, Galápagos Islands has the highest daily chance: about 60%. Next come Cabo Pulmo National Park (Mexico, about 50%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Diamond Stingray is recorded against all the sharks and rays logged in Galápagos Islands (297 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
