Good gracious! A bull ray, scientifically known as aetomylaeus bovinus, was spotted recently in Maltese waters and we’re not entirely sure how to feel about it.

While the bull ray looks quite beautiful, it kinda has some scary qualities. Despite what we or you might think about it, this poor creature is actually endangered in the Med. “It was first recorded in Malta in 2001 by Sharklab - Malta and is now under national conservation and one cannot harpoon or kill them!” The Weather Page Malta said today, sharing a photo of the ray taken by Francesca Vincenti with followers.

Earlier this month, Sharklab and Nature Trust urged authorities to protect such a creature as its numbers are on the decline, as well as being on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list.

“We believe that Malta is a nursery area for Bull rays as juveniles have been seen here, in many of the sandy bays around the island. They are vulnerable as they live in relatively shallow waters 1-30 metres and they are slow-moving,” the NGOs reportedly said in a joint statement earlier this month.