 The common stingray is found throughout the Mediterranean and Black Seas . It also occurs , though in significantly lower numbers , in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean from southern Norway and the western Baltic Sea to Madeira and the Canary Islands . This bottom @-@ dwelling species can be found from the shore to a depth of 200 m ( 660 ft ) , though it is not usually found deeper than 60 m ( 200 ft ) . It favors sandy or muddy bottoms in calm water , and is also sometimes encountered near rocky reefs or in estuaries , as it is tolerant of low salinity . Off the Azores , common stingrays are most abundant in summer and least abundant in winter , suggestive of a seasonal shift in range and / or depth as has been documented in other ray species . 
