Stingray rep takes another hit.

[sixgun8]

Stingrays get more bad press this morning. Apparently the same breed of ray that killed Steve Irwin leapt out of the water and struck a women in her boat. They say ot was just a freak accident where the stigray had to leap at the right moment for some unknown reason and the boat had to be coming through at exactly the right moment, but it happened. They say it is not uncommon at all for this type of Ray to leap from the water.

[RNnNC]

Yeap

And the story has thus changed, origianally stated that the Ray killed her, now there is no evidence of a puncture wound and she died from the fall that she sustained. Totally a freak accident. Poor Rays!

[sixy-six]

I just wonder what that ray weas trying to get away from that it leaped. I feel sorry for the Woman and her family. also for the poor Ray for being blamed.

[DaytonGirl]

I have never, in my entire life, read so much misinformation in a single paragraph.

 

:) To the OP: I'm truly not insulting you. I'm sure you heard this nonsense from over enthusiastic reporters that are looking for sensationalism. I don't think by any stretch of the imagination you made this up by yourself. :)

 

Apparently the same breed of ray that killed Steve Irwin leapt out of the water and struck a women in her boat.

 

The woman in Florida was killed, not by, but in a collision with, an eagle ray. Steve Erwin was killed by a stingray.

 

They say it is not uncommon at all for this type of Ray to leap from the water.

 

What!! :confused: Since when???? Eagle rays are usually found at deeper depths. Stingrays are more common in the sandy flats. Has anyone ever seen either type leap from the water? I'm a diver and have been on the water for years. I was shocked that a ray could even break the surface. Am I wrong? I don't know everything but I'm shocked.

[Quincella]

"The spotted eagle ray is commonly observed in bays and over coral reefs as well as the occasional foray into estuarine habitats. Although it occurs in inshore waters to depths of approximately 200 feet (60 m), the spotted eagle ray spends most of its time swimming in schools in open water. In open waters, spotted eagle rays often form large schools and swim close to the surface. It is known to swim long distances across open waters as evidenced by its presence in Bermuda. This species is capable of leaping completely out of the water when pursued. It swims by "flying" gracefully through the water via the undulation of the pectoral fins. "

- From the website of the Florida Museum of Natural History

[DaytonGirl]

This species is capable of leaping completely out of the water when pursued.[/b]

 

Thanks Quincella!

 

I've never seen a ray of any kind break the surface, or should I say leap above the surface, but I've never observed them in open water. I've only seen them along reefs. It would be really cool to see this in person one day (as long as it's not heading towards my face :eek: ).

 

I think it is important to note that the quote says that it's capable of leaping completely out of the water, not that this is common behavior.

 

Once again, I'm blaming the OP for reporting this. I'm blaming wherever he/she heard this stuff from. I hate to see an innocent animal get a bad rap.

[newt98]

i saw one leap out of the water when i was about twelve in the tampa bay area. i was on my grandfathers boat, and the ray was probably about 100 yards out, and it was huge. it skipped across the top of the water two to three times then disappeared. that was over twenty years ago, and i remember it like it was yesterday.

[DaytonGirl]

 

Once again, I'm blaming the OP for reporting this. I'm blaming wherever he/she heard this stuff from.

 

That was supposed to say that I'm NOT blaming the OP. My brain was going faster than my fingers. :o

[sixgun8]

I have never, in my entire life, read so much misinformation in a single paragraph.

 

:) To the OP: I'm truly not insulting you. I'm sure you heard this nonsense from over enthusiastic reporters that are looking for sensationalism. I don't think by any stretch of the imagination you made this up by yourself. :)

 

 

 

The woman in Florida was killed, not by, but in a collision with, an eagle ray. Steve Erwin was killed by a stingray.

 

 

 

What!! :confused: Since when???? Eagle rays are usually found at deeper depths. Stingrays are more common in the sandy flats. Has anyone ever seen either type leap from the water? I'm a diver and have been on the water for years. I was shocked that a ray could even break the surface. Am I wrong? I don't know everything but I'm shocked.

 

 

Stingray is simply a generalized term if I understand it correctly. Eagle ray is a particular breed. Like a lab is a type of DOG.

 

They had a lady from some sea park on the park talking about the rays and she is a lifelong expert in the field and said that it is not uncommon for these rays to leap from the water, So I'll take her word for it unless you can prove you know more. She said they do it to usually escape from predators or when they are startled. Noone knows why this one did it.

 

So let's not say I was giving misinformation, more than I was passing on what was reported.

[sixgun8]

And my intention of the post in the first place was that it was unfortunate that this type of animal would get blamed for this situation when it was indeed a freak accident. The news reported it and the experts they had discussing it said it was a total freak accident and that everything had to be in the right place at the right time for this to happen. They never said the animal intentionally killed this woman or anything. I was more disappointed that it was reported at all. When we were with the stingrays in Cayman I never felt unsafe at any time.

[Capt_BJ]

Having spent a good bit of time on the water, yes I've seen many species of rays come airborne. This case is unusual in the height that the ray achieved and yes, follow-up articles today explain that essentially the ray jumped up directly in front of the boat and they ran into the ray, with the unfortunate victim hitting the ray with their face @ 25 mph causing massive head injuries.

 

A freak accident but to tell you the truth not THAT uncommon. Seems about once a year there's something similar in the Keys, I can recall a BIG 'cuda jumping into a boat and catching a boater right in the chest and another case where is was a sail fish....it literaly impailed a boater. Neither of these was 'hooked' by the way...they just jumped and ended up in the boat. Even huge Mantas have been seen with this behavior.

 

In shallow waters rays and big fish will sometimes leap to escape a preditor and I suspect a rapidly approaching outboard can freak then enuf to trigger the action....