Fearless stingrays swim right through hammerhead shark gauntlet

Hammerhead sharks are one of the primary predators of stingrays, such as these beautiful spotted eagle rays that live in the Galapagos Islands. The rays should do anything they can to avoid these huge predators, but instead, these bold eagle rays calmly swim straight through a school of endless sharks drifting on the current. They are literally swimming through a gauntlet of carnivores as if they are unafraid. The hammerheads do more than just leave them alone. Some of the sharks actually change direction slightly as if they are intentionally avoiding them.

This video was taken at Wolf Island in the Galapagos. The hammerheads congregate here due to the convergence of three strong ocean currents that bring an abundance of plankton and food up from the ocean bottom. This, in turn, brings small fish and larger predators that prey on those fish. The oceans around the Galapagos are alive with some of the most plentiful and diverse life on the planet.

This particular spotted eagle ray is easily distinguished by his curled wing and other injuries.

The scuba diver with the camera is Solon, a dive master who has been guiding clients in these waters for over 35 years and he has captured video of this stingray since before 2015. When he dives this site, the stingray often appears and it seems to approach him with curiosity, much like a trusted friend. Solon has captured spectacular video of this ray circling him or simply hovering on the current right beside him.

In this video, the stingray appears from out of the blue and makes a direct line towards him. It seems to be more than a coincidence that it swims right in front of him and circles slowly before drifting off into the blue.

Solon has a true love for the ocean and for all of the creatures who live there. He is happier in this magical world than anywhere else and his love and respect is contagious. Solon can be found through Float N' Flag Dive Centre in Ontario for those who want to experience some of the best diving the world has to offer.