THIS unusual looking sea creature attracted a crowd at a beach in Poole at the weekend.

Diana Hobbs captured photos of the ray at Branksome beach on Saturday.

She said: “We were watching it for around a quarter of an hour. A young boy shouted ‘there’s a stingray’ so I went and got my camera and. It washed up to where the sand was and I took a few photos. We were a bit concerned it was ill or there was something wrong with it but it went up the beach to where the restaurant was and disappeared.”

Peter Tinsley of the Dorset Wildlife Trust said he believed it was an undulate ray.

He told the Daily Echo: “They’re not rare and have been doing well recently, thanks to some protection after being listed as endangered. Unusual to see one from a beach, though.”

There are around 21 different types of ray in the seas around the UK.

Undulate rays can be found around the south of the UK and are unique to Western Europe from the English Channel to the Moroccan coast.

The Undulate Ray Project has observed rays in Dorset for a number of years and says “each individual undulate ray can be identified from photographs of the unique pattern on their dorsal side.”

Peter added: “It’s great to see people spotting and reporting things while out on beaches and on the water – we’re always very interested in any such sightings.”

Yesterday there were reports of another undulate ray being spotted at Alum Chine.

To share a picture with The Undulate Ray Project, visit http://undulateray.uk/rays/