Ray Island, also known as the Ray, is a 40.5-hectare (100-acre) nature reserve west of Mersea Island in Essex. The site is a sandy hill rising out of an area of saltmarsh between Strood Channel and Ray Channel. The island is owned by the National Trust, who bought it in 1970. It was leased by the National Trust to the Essex Wildlife Trust, which managed the site. Following the cessation of the lease, the National Trust has resumed responsibility for the island's management.