Docile Stingrays

Submitted by Toni on Sun, 02/17/2013 - 10:35

I'm appalled (yet again) to see our local press reporting 'Stingray Attacks'.

I don't often get on my 'soapbox' particularly as I was reminded by a friend this week that they can be slippery things... But I feel compelled to proffer the other side of the argument for these most maligned and misunderstood 'cats of the sea' (and I know I risk having Gareth Morgan on my case using that description).

These docile creatures have been living in the Bay at Kawau for years and pass the steps in front of our house three or four times a day on the falling and rising tide. They are quite spectacular to see in the water - even if the old Retriever does get excited and bark at them!

Locals know that all you have to do when swimming is splash the water and any rays in the vicinity will immediately exit stage left. A stingray's natural reaction when threatened is to swim away. To suggest that these beautiful creatures are waiting to 'hunt' and 'attack' humans is tantamount to scaremongering and sensationalization to sell tomorrow's fish and chip wrappers.

Take a moment to learn something about this defamed species and remember, we're stepping into their environment - it's not the other way around.

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Comments

Janice Seagraves - Sun, 02/17/2013 - 10:50
It's only because of Steve Irwin's freak accident that cost him his life that people think they're deadly. As far as I know, Irwin has been the only death by stingray. Another man in Florida, while in a sightseeing boat, got stabbed by a stingray's barb right after it took flight right into a man's chest. They got him to the hospital and the man survived. Again, a highly unusual thing to happen, since stingrays don't normally leap out of the water.

Toni - Sun, 02/17/2013 - 11:16
I've never been so sure you could call that an 'accident' Janice. Steve Irwin did some crazy things with wild animals. As much as I'm a champion for our local stingray population, I don't think I'd be trying to interact with them the way Steve did. When the local Orca come into the Bay to feed on the rays I've seen a few of them almost climb the rocks to get away - they can move when an Orca's after them!

Janice Seagraves - Tue, 02/19/2013 - 14:16
When I heard of Steve Irwin's accident, I wondered if he had bothered the stingray and got stabbed by its barb for his pains. Irwin got bitten by a lot of animals that he handled. I know of at least one family who'd watch his show to see if he'd get bitten again. Not me. I always flinched. As for the stingrays in your location, I didn't know what fed on stingrays. Have you seen them fly out of the water to get away from the orca?

Toni - Wed, 02/20/2013 - 08:27
They cower in the shallows when Orca are after them - it looks as if they are crawling out of the water because their wings break the surface - they can also sit up on small rocks. My dh tells me that they can 'fly' out of the water. He's not seen that himself, but he's heard about it. Maybe 'leap' would be better terminology than 'fly'. There was a great story I read in the local island magazine about a school camp. Loads of children terrified of getting into the water because there had been a pod of orca through the bay feeding and all the local rays were sitting on and by the rocks where the kids had to swim. That's an experience that I'm sure many of them won't forget! The ray in the picture is swimming in about 1 foot of water. The picture is murky because the ray is kicking up the sand while feeding on a fish carcass. They come right up to the steps and almost climb them some days - especially if there are any fish scraps sitting on the steps they can feed on. It's really a marvelous experience having them visit.

Janice Seagraves - Wed, 02/20/2013 - 19:43
Sounds like it would be. :)

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