![]() At the DayDream Island resort in Queensland, Australia, you can even feed them on your lap. You may have also heard of Stingray City in the Cayman Islands, which is famous for letting you snorkel with rays. Many aquariums around the world, such as the Georgia Aquarium in the United States, allow adults and children to pet and feed stingrays in touch tanks. ![]() My hope is to alter the general perception of them from dangerous to cute and gentle.įortunately, the growth of ecotourism is helping by providing people with memorable stingray interactions. ![]() Based on my experiences, I find stingrays to be gentle natured. Knowing these facts hopefully eliminates some of the mystery and underlying fear about stingray strikes. Injuries to extremities vary in severity and pain degree, but they aren't usually life threatening.Ĭommon shovelnose ray-one of the many barb-less rays. That's why injuries are usually on the foot or ankle. When they feel threatened or are stepped on, rays may react defensively by jerking their tail. You're only in barbing range if you stand nearly on top of their bodies, but they usually shuffle away long before you get that close. Since it is located close to the base of the tail on most species, the rest of the tail and the body are harmless to touch. The barb is the only part of a stingray you should be wary of. A stingray's body is harmless-but it is slimy Only the latter is characterized by a venomous barb, which it developed as a defense tool against larger aquatic predators such as sharks.ģ. The term "ray" includes everything from skates, guitarfish, manta rays, devil rays, to true stingrays. To clarify, all stingrays are rays, but not all rays are stingrays. I have been using the term stingray so far, but there are many types of rays. Thousands of stingray injuries are reported worldwide each year but, interestingly, only five recorded deaths have been reported in Australia since 1945, and fewer than 20 worldwide.Īctually, more people die each year from falling out of bed-73 people in Australia in 2021 alone, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. More people die falling out of bed than from stingrays We can assume these comments are jokes, but weeks after his death news reports showed Irwin fans may have sought retribution when a handful of stingrays on Queensland's beaches were found with their tails cut off.ġ. Despite the fact I'm well trained in this procedure, multiple commenters were flabbergasted I would attempt something so dangerous.Ī few more suggested I should fling the stingray out of my hands to avenge Steve Irwin. The existence of a "stingray stigma" became obvious to me after I recently posted an Instagram reel demonstrating the proper technique for picking up a stingray. Accidental injuries do happen, but understanding how and why "barbings" occur could help prevent them and help beachgoers overcome the stingray stigma. In fact, I am surprised when an Australian doesn't mention it.ĭespite their reputation as being dangerous, stingray-caused deaths are actually rare. When I tell others I study stingrays, they usually respond with shock, followed by a quick reminder about this. Irwin wrangled some of the world's most dangerous animals, from crocodiles to venomous snakes, yet it was a stingray that tragically took his life. So should we be worried about stingrays? You might still think so, even if it's been 16 years since the death of wildlife icon Steve Irwin.
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