Are stingrays gentle?
A gentle “flying” fish
Many stingrays look like they're “flying” under water! Stingrays do have poisonous barbs and stingers, but are very gentle creatures and rarely attack unless they feel directly threatened or in immediate danger.
Stingrays generally aren't dangerous — in fact, they have a reputation for being gentle. They often burrow beneath the sand in the shallows and swim in the open water. Stingrays will usually only sting when disturbed or stepped on by unaware swimmers. Most of the time, you can avoid being stung by a stingray.
Stingrays and skates — which look a lot like fancier stingrays — are much smoother and spongier than they appear. Their flesh feels almost delicate until you brush against one of the hard ridges running down their back. As for horseshoe crabs, the feel of their shells was less surprising than the way they moved.
As they gently glide a few inches above the sand, stingrays appear elegant, peaceful and calm—and they are, the vast majority of the time. The only time divers need to worry is when stingrays feel threatened.
Stingrays are not aggressive. They are curious and playful animals when there are divers and snorkellers around, and if they feel threatened their first instinct is to swim away. But as with all marine life, people must respect stingrays' personal space.
It is clearly dangerous to swim directly over a stingray (this is how Steve Irwin was fatally injured). In general, if you aren't on a tour, it is advisable to avoid stingrays, and you should certainly leave them alone while diving or snorkeling.
They hide in the sand from predators (sharks and seals) and prefer the shallow warm water. Stingrays have an inch-long barb filled with venom and if stepped on or touched, it can cause a painful sting. Sometimes the barb can cause a significant laceration and can break off into the wound.
The stingray also releases a venom from cells on the underside of its spines that can get from the wound into your blood. The venom can cause severe pain that peaks in 90 minutes, and it can last anywhere from 6 to 48 hours. Sometimes, the pain may even last for days or weeks.
Contrary to its reputation, the stingray is a shy and even gentle creature that would rather swim away than strike. It reserves its stinger for its predators – sharks and other large carnivorous fish. It attacks people only when it feels directly threatened, often when it's unintentionally stepped on.
The sting of a stingray causes a bleeding wound that may become swollen and turn blue or red. It causes excruciating pain and can result in death. Severe symptoms may include nausea, fever, muscle cramps, paralysis, elevated heart rate and seizures.
What to do if a stingray comes near you?
By shuffling your feet across the sandy bottom you can alert the stingray of your presence, they will uncover themselves and swim away. Stingrays don't want to be stepped on anymore than you want to be stung!
Avoid touching or irritating the stingray's tail.
They use their tails for defense against predators, like sharks, and will only flick their tails if they feel threatened or are disturbed in an aggressive way. When you are swimming with the stingrays, you should only touch the front area, or disc area of the rays.
Sometimes the corners of their mouths go up, which we humans interpret as “smiling”… which we associate with happiness. One case of a stingray “laughing” while it was getting tickled went viral – humans associated the stingray's reaction with having fun, while the animal was actually suffocating to death.
Common throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast U.S., Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico, stingrays often swim within a few yards of shore, where they prey on tiny fish and shellfish. They are known to lie on the bottom and cover themselves with sand, which is how most people get stung.
In response to the tickle attack, the spreadeagled stingray opens its mouth and scrunches it into what looks like a grin. The cartilaginous critter also curls up its pectoral wings as if imitating a human in the throes of a laughing fit.
Stingrays, on the other hand, exhibit more low-key intelligence. They can manipulate objects to get food and will engage in playful behavior just for their amusement.
Myth: Many people have been injured by stingrays. Fact: There have been only 17 recorded deaths caused by stingrays worldwide… ever!
Be sure to shuffle even if you're wearing a wetsuit or boots since a stingray's barb is strong enough to pierce through either. Also, remember—if you see one ray, then others could be nearby.
“The best thing to do is shuffle your feet especially if you're entering an area where there are not a lot of other people,” said Lt. John Sandmeyer of the San Diego Lifeguard Service. “Because it usually means that the stingrays have not been disturbed there.”
There are approximately 1,500 stingray stings in the United States every year.
Why does hot water help stingray stings?
Hot water inactivates any remaining venom and may relieve pain.
New research involving nearly 60 stingrays at the aquarium indicates that the animals do not suffer from their interactions with humans. And they might even like it.
Do stingrays enjoy being tickled? Joseph Gemellaro at the Long Island Aquarium says it's not safe at all. “Because they're animals that breathe in the water, if you keep them out for long, they have issues with oxygen depravity,” he said. They also pack a potentially deadly sting.
In water as shallow as 10 or 12 inches, stingrays hide by burying themselves under a thin layer of sand, trying to remain unnoticed. The best way to make sure stingrays steer clear of your feet is to slide your feet along the sand instead of taking big steps.
Active tracking showed that round stingrays exhibited short movements interspersed by 2-4 hr. periods of inactivity and that round stingray movement was greatest at night during the ebbing (falling) tide when water temperature can increase as much as 10 degrees (C) in a relatively short period of time.
Stingrays come into shallow Gulf waters for their mating season and settle in; they get partially covered with sand which makes it difficult to see them. By shuffling your feet during these months, you give the Stingrays a chance to glide out of your way and you help to avoid the chances of sustaining a painful sting.
"They tend to come into the shallow water they cover themselves with sand so generally you don't see them so we suggest to do the stingray shuffle where you shuffle your feet so you don't step on one and it scares them off," said Routh.
Stingrays do not have very good eyesight. So while stingrays are shy and usually want to avoid you, they simply can't see you that well and may swim towards you by accident. Since their eyesight is poor, stingrays use electro-sensors/vibrations to know what's going on around them.
Stingrays are purely carnivorous and, like most carnivores, they like to eat animals smaller than themselves. In particular, they like to eat animals that live on or beneath the sand like worms, clams, oysters, snails and shrimp . A la carte for stingrays are small fish and squid.
They are known to occasionally jump out of the water but are not aggressive and use the venomous barb at the end of their tail for defense.
What beach has the most stingrays?
Huntington Beach, one of the most famous beaches in all of California, apparently has a lot of stingrays. The volatile little creatures are typically chill and prefer to hang out beneath the warm sands at high tide.
When you're walking in the ocean admiring all the unique marine life, shuffle your feet along the bottom. As a result of this stingray shuffle, the stingrays will feel the vibrations from your feet and have a chance to flee. If you do get stung, the protein on the stinger is similar to that of a bee sting.
They have long venomous spines on their tails, but they are not aggressive, so must human interaction is from surprising or threatening a stingray. These Atlantic stingrays can survive in brackish or fresh water, so they can be found in lakes, rivers, and estuaries.
Stingrays' tails do not and cannot sting you. In fact, you can grab the tail if you really wanted to.
Kissing a stingray is good luck
Legend has it, if you kiss a stingray on its head, you 'll get seven years of good luck. The residents of stingray city are comfortable around humans and prepared to receive a quick peck in exchange for some squid.
Never hold a ray out of the water longer than 4 minutes. A longer timespan can damage the ray. It's important not to hold the ray out of the water longer than necessary.
Contrary to its reputation, the stingray is a shy and even gentle creature that would rather swim away than strike. It reserves its stinger for its predators – sharks and other large carnivorous fish. It attacks people only when it feels directly threatened, often when it's unintentionally stepped on.
The main symptom of a stingray sting is immediate severe pain. Although often limited to the injured area, the pain may spread rapidly, reaching its greatest intensity in < 90 minutes; in most cases, pain gradually diminishes over 6 to 48 hours but occasionally lasts days or weeks.
Although most people recover completely, stingray stings can cause serious infection or allergic reactions in some cases. If you get a stingray sting, wash the wound and seek medical care quickly.
Stingrays like the one that killed "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin are cousins of sharks. But unlike some sharks, which are fearsome predators with powerful jaws, the stingray is rarely a threat to humans and its small mouth is no threat at all.
Why do stingrays hurt so much?
A powerful toxin in the barb of the ray's tail triggers a "knifelike pain" that can last for hours.