Mass Migration of Stingrays

[Paulus]

I got this in an email today and had to share. The HTML code doesn't transcribe well, so the images may be a little off kilter. Still looks ok, though. Enjoy!

 

p.-

 

Can you IMAGINE seeing this in person? Awesome........

Looking like giant leaves floating in the sea thousands of Golden Rays are seen here gathering off the coast of Mexico

The spectacular scene was captured as the magnificent creatures made one of their biannual mass migrations to more agreeable waters.

Gliding silently beneath the waves they turned vast areas of blue water to gold off the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula .

Sandra Critelli, an amateur photographer, stumbled across the phenomenon while looking for whale sharks.

She said: 'It was an unreal image, very difficult to describe. The surface of the water was covered by warm and different shades of gold and looked like a bed of autumn leaves gently moved by the wind.

 

"It's hard to say exactly how many there were but in the range of a few thousand.

 

 

 

 

"We were surrounded by them without seeing the edge of the school and we could see many under the water surface too.

 

"I feel very fortunate I was there in the right place at the right time to experienced nature at his best."

 

Measuring up to 7ft (2.1 metres) from wing-tip to wing-tip, Golden rays are also more prosaically known as cow nose rays.

 

 

They have long, pointed pectoral fins that separate into two lobes in front of their high-domed heads and give them a cow-like appearance.

 

Despite having poisonous stingers they are known to be shy and non-threatening when in large schools.

 

The population in the Gulf of Mexico migrates, in schools of as many as 10,000, clockwise from western Florida to the Yucatan.

 

The whole article can be found here : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtm...24/earay124.xml

 

cheers!

p.-

[GBW]

wow, very cool. thanks for posting that!

[Anton Kanagasuntheri]

what do u say... worm on #2 hook?

[fishing n autograph]

That's neat...wouldn't wanna go swimming though

[smbhunter]

That is amazing. Thanks for sharing.

[douG]

"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming".

 

Amazing photos.

[Leecher]

Unbeleivable Thanks for sharing

[ccmtcanada]

Wow...awesome stuff! thanks for posting that....would be amazing to see up close.

[Sandbag]

Very neat....

lol douG

 

 

Cheers

 

Craig

[goteeboy]

that's cool

i was in Manzanillo a month ago and we saw some rays (looked like the same kind) riding the waves in. so you could see them in groups of 2-4 riding the waves into shore. maybe they were on their way to join the others.

[JohnF]

Neat.

 

If you ever happen to be holidaying on grand cayman, take advantage fo the tour to Stingray City. They take you out on a big pontoon boat and you get to wade in 3-4' of water on a sandbar with 100's of Stingrays. It's quite an experience having them squirming all over you, through yer legs, etc. I saw one 3 footer actually flap his way up over a person's head. My wife headed back to the boat when that happened.

 

JF

[sharper]

Very cool pic, thanks for sharing.

[oxcowboy]

very neat sighting, that would have been real cool to see that in person.

 

jason