Guitarfish, hence their name, have a body that closely resembles the shape of a guitar. However, despite their name, they are actually more closely related to sharks and rays than any species of common reef fish you might normally expect to see day to day.
Rays, including guitarfish, belong to the ancient lineage of cartilaginous fishes. With the oldest unambiguous fossils of cartilaginous fish dating over 350 million years go! This family is represented today by sharks, sawfish, rays and skates and these gentle bottom dwellers are true living descendants of the dinosaur era!
This incredibly rare encounter occurred recently on our popular Southern Lights Tour and wowed both guests and crew alike! We are fortunate enough to experience the Great Barrier Reef every day and still encounter amazing creatures that take our breath away. We hope to see you join us on a tour soon so we can show you the wonders of the Whitsundays.
