Marine life tangled in fishing lines, nets, and other underwater debris is nothing new. When divers find these unfortunate animals, they go to great lengths to free them. Jules Casey conducted a fiddler ray rescue off Mornington Peninsula on March 5, 2025.
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She discovered the fiddler ray with a fishing line and hook caught and tangled. Using pliers, she gently handled the ray to remove the hook. After a quick check to ensure it was okay, she released it.
The fiddler ray is known by several names, including banjo ray, banjo shark, and Southern fiddler. Fiddler rays are not technically rays or sharks but fall on a spectrum between the two species. They have the wide, flat body and wings of typical rays but also have fins on their tails, similar to a shark. They are common in the waters off the Australian coast. The mottled coloration on their backs helps them blend into the underwater seascape.
On her Instagram, OneBreathDiver, Jules Casey states that guidelines are placed along the seabed to lead divers to the artificial reef. The posts and lines frequently entangle marine life. She says she rescues a fiddler ray almost every day. Jules will continue to check the lines on her dives and assist marine life.
Fiddler rays are small, being about two feet across their wingspan. Unlike the stingray, they don’t have a barb on their tail. They have a shark-like tail with fins that provide propulsion when they swim. They are docile animals and stay near the ocean floor. As carnivores, they feed on crustaceans, fish, worms, and small mollusks in sandy shallows and among seagrass beds.
You can follow Jules Casey on Instagram for more undersea fiddler ray rescues.
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