Stingrays and Rays

Southern Eagle Ray - Myliobatis australisCreative Commons License Sylke Rohrlach via Compfight

My family and I love to surf and play in the shallow water and waves in southern California. Sting rays and rays like the bat ray live in California.

When my dad and I paddle out and wait for waves to catch, we can see bat rays in about nine feet of water, swimming around.  In the shallow water, there is a species of stingray called the round stingray. Stingrays and rays are different.  Stingrays can sting but rays only have barbs and can’t sting.

We have heard about people getting stung every once and a while. My dad, brother, and I where surfing on a very small-wave day. My dad walked out to push my brother into a wave and then he said he thought something bit him on the toe and it hurt.  We kept surfing for about one hour and then we got back to our place and we realized he got stung.

The cure is hot water – as hot as you can handle.  The poison is a neurotoxin that can be fought off with hot water.  Because the poison had time to set in, he said it started to get worse. After about forty minutes in the hot water, he said it got better and there was no effect after that.

A few days later we were out surfing and I saw my mom carrying my sister into the beach.  I wondered what was wrong so I caught a wave into the beach.  My sister was crying and there was blood dripping from under her foot.  We knew she was stung, so we went up and put her foot in hot water.  She said it felt better right away and she is back to normal now.

Have you ever had any encounters like this in nature?

-Evan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6 thoughts on “Stingrays and Rays

  1. Hey Evan,
    I’ve never seen a stingray or a ray before! It must be pretty cool to see one in the wild, but I’d be really scared of getting stung. How big are they? What does it feel like when you get stung?
    I’ve been surfing before, and it was really fun, but if it wasn’t for the wet suit then I’d have been freezing. I bet it’d be way warmer in California.
    I’m glad your sister and dad are okay after getting stung.
    Happy blogging!
    Gabi

    • Hello Gabi,
      Your right it was pretty cool to see stingray in the wild. Stingrays can be very small and get as big as 1,600 kilograms. Sting rays don’t live in the shallow water of Canada so you don’t have to be have to be scared but if you go somewhere else and you see one and leave it alone it wont sting you. My dad said when he got stung it felt like a bad bee sting but when he put it in hot water it got better.

      Happy blogging

      -Evan

  2. Cool post Evan although it wasn’t very cool to see your little sis get stung was it? She was tough though. It’s strange that although we’ve been to Encinitas several times we have only seen stingrays the last two years. The locals say they are there because the water is still warm. Apparently they will go away when the water cools down.

    • Hi Mom,
      I was scared when Calla got stung and I wish it was me instead. I have stepped on them most years but never realized it was stingrays.

      Bye
      -Evan

  3. Hey Evan,
    I sure sounds fun surfing the pacific coast in Cali. I’ve never seen a stingray or a ray in person but I have seen theme in photos and videos and they look very fascinating! Have you ever been stung by a stingray while surfing before? Bye now, from Trey

  4. Hey Evan,

    As a surfer on the East Coast I can tell you that our water is not that clear. Sick picture, Stingrays and skates are a natural part of my surfing experience over here. In case anyone gets stung, I’ll make sure to keep your blog in mind.

    Keep shredding,

    Nick

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