January is often an awkward time to be on the coast for leisure—post-holiday fatigue makes the idea of a beach trip less appealing. But I seized an opportunity to hop a ride to Diani, aiming to cool off before the new year truly took hold. We chose Diani because of its famously ‘bluer’ waters and pristine beaches. An ideal escape.
As dawn broke over the turquoise waters of the Diani coast, I found myself staring at a wooden dhow off the shores of Kilifi, surrounded by a group of ray fishermen. Hardened by salt, sun, and years at sea, they were a living testament to the resilience of coastal communities.
This was no ordinary fishing trip. One of the fishermen had just hauled in a strange, alien-like creature, something I’d only seen in National Geographic documentaries or horror movies. It was a ray.
Kenya’s coast is home to some incredible ray species, many of which you can spot if you’re lucky while diving or fishing around areas like Watamu, Diani, and Lamu. The reef manta ray is a local favorite, massive but gentle, often cruising near coral reefs with its 5-meter wingspan.
Sometimes, you might even catch sight of its bigger cousin, the giant oceanic manta ray, though it’s much rarer and prefers deeper waters. Devil rays and eagle rays, like the spotted eagle ray with its elegant white spots, also show up in the open sea, gliding gracefully or breaching the surface.
Then you’ve got stingrays, like the bright blue bluespotted ribbontail ray, which hides out in the lagoons and reefs, and its bigger cousin, the round ribbontail ray, which sticks to deeper waters.
Rays, close relatives of sharks, are ghostly beings of grace-gliding silently along the ocean floor. Yet, in Kenya and around the world, these gentle creatures face a silent crisis. Overfishing, habitat destruction, and unregulated trade have pushed many ray species toward the brink of extinction.
Naturally curious as a journalist, I had to get closer.
The fishermen I encountered were candid but shy on camera.
“We used to catch rays almost daily. But now, we can go weeks without even seeing one. The ocean has changed.”
Rays: The Forgotten Victims of the Ocean Crisis
While headlines often highlight the plight of lions, rhinos, and elephants, marine species like rays rarely make the news. But the truth is, Kenya’s coastal ecosystems—from the Lamu archipelago to reefs off Malindi—are losing biodiversity at an alarming rate.
Rays are especially vulnerable because of their slow reproductive rates. Some species take years to mature and produce only a handful of offspring at a time. Once depleted, their populations struggle to bounce back.
Adding to this crisis is the rising demand for ray gill plates in international markets—particularly in parts of Asia—where they are falsely believed to have medicinal properties. Many fishermen, unaware of the ecological toll, see rays as a lucrative catch. Thankfully, conservation efforts are gaining ground to reverse this trend.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), working alongside local and international NGOs, has launched extensive monitoring programs for ray and shark populations. They are also working to enforce marine protected areas (MPAs), especially around Watamu, Kisite-Mpunguti, and Diani—key habitats for rays during feeding and breeding.
Community education is another vital component. Former ray fishermen are being retrained as marine guides, conservation officers, and ecotourism entrepreneurs. The fishermen I met were part of such initiatives. Their nets have been replaced with notebooks, their knowledge now guiding researchers rather than depleting reefs.
Perhaps the most profound realization I gained from my time with them was the depth of their ecological understanding. They know the tides, the breeding grounds, migratory routes—stories rooted in reverence for the ocean, rather than exploitation.
To safeguard Kenya’s vulnerable marine ecosystems, urgent action is needed. Expanding and strictly enforcing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is essential. These sanctuaries allow ray populations to recover and habitats to regenerate.
Additionally, a comprehensive ban on the trade of ray gill plates must be enacted, supported by rigorous enforcement of existing wildlife trafficking laws. The illegal trade fuels overexploitation, undermining conservation efforts and threatening the very existence of these gentle creatures.
If Kenya can find harmony between its communities and the sea, the rays may yet return to the depths. In their silent flight beneath the waves, they will tell the story of a nation that chose to care.
