Drone footage captures massive gathering of cownose rays off Southampton, New York

A recent drone recording by Joanna Steidle displays a spectacular swarm of cownose rays moving together just beneath the surface off Southampton, New York. Scientists refer to such dense gatherings as a “fever,” and the footage shows the rays resembling floating ravioli in clear water. These rays, which can reach three to four feet in width, migrate northward each summer, following water temperatures between roughly 21 and 26 degrees Celsius.

Dean Grubbs of Florida State University explains that historically, large fevers were confined to areas no farther north than the Chesapeake Bay, with only a few individuals seen beyond that point. Rising ocean temperatures are likely enabling the rays to appear earlier and remain longer in northern coastal zones. Although the phenomenon is striking, cownose rays have been documented in New York waters since at least the 1800s, and modern drone technology is making such observations more accessible.