Something to Cry About: Stingray Sting
Tara A. Spears
You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy splashing in the ocean. Many first time visitors to the ocean simply do not realize that there is potential danger in the beautiful blue water- and it’s more than going out too deep. The ocean is home to thousands of marine creatures and while the majority of wild animals will get out of your way, a few will hurt you if you encroach on their space.
Stingrays are some of the most majestic and fascinating fish in the oceans. With their broad pectoral fins, flat round shape, and long tails they seem to effortlessly glide through water. Most species of stingrays are found in tropical and subtropical marine
environments. There are over 220 species of stingray and some are not harmful to humans. The types of stingray that you might see in Jaltemba Bay, Mexico, are the common Round stingray, the Long Tail ray and the Diamond stingray and the Pelagic stingray. All of the types of stingrays that you might bump into when in the shallow water are the stinging kind with a venomous tail with serrated edges. Its sting can be painful, but not lethal. In addition to the migrating species of stingrays there are many types that reside in JB so there is never an ‘off season’ when you don’t need to look out for rays.
The stingrays can be found primarily in relatively shallow inshore waters over sandy and muddy bottoms or near rocky outcrops- which describes Jaltemba Bay’s shoreline. The small Round stingray often buries themselves in the sand making it difficult to notice them even if you’re looking down. In stingrays, the female is always larger than the males. Apart from its yellow-brown coloring and small size, you can identify it by the long elongated tail.
Male/female round Diamond stingray
Another local species is the Diamond Stingrays. This group of stingrays is a major focus species for artisanal fishery catches of the Pacific coast of Mexico and the Gulf of California. The Diamond stingray is one of the most important rays to the local economies, according to the Mexican Secretary of Fishing data. Their catch rates are highest during the summer and fall. Pacific stingrays are caught primarily by demersal (bottom dragging) gill nets, longlines or traps with the majority of fish being immature juveniles. They are also a significant component of the shrimp trawler by-catch. They are an important food source for local people with their pectoral fins being sold filleted and salted and are a major component of “fish tacos” sold by taco stands.
Although you won’t be stepping on this one I’ve included Clearnose Skate because you could come across its seed sack when walking the beach. The skate (and some sharks) deposit large fertilized eggs in black or dark green leathery shells, known as mermaid’s purses. The purse has an oblong outline with a hollow tendril at each corner, which is used to attach to marine objects; these are deposited in sandy and muddy flats.
Dr. John White reports that “the Clearnose Skate, Rostroraja eglanteria, which likes the deep water off the continental shelf, is a member of the Skate or Rajidae Family, and is known in Mexico as raya naricita. Globally, there are thirty-two species in the genus Raja, of which eight are found in Mexican waters.”
The Golden Cownose Ray is an inshore species found in bays and coastal lagoons over sandy bottoms near rock structures and coral reefs at depths up to 66 m (215 feet). The giant Golden Cownose Ray has a maximum disc width of 1.07 m (3 feet 6 inches), disc length of 75 cm (30 inches), and total length of 1.70 m (5 feet 5 inches). They are highly migratory and travel in large schools with synchronous movements resembling birds in flight. They migrate to the northern portions of the Sea of Cortez in the spring and return south in the fall. Like other stingrays, Cownose primarily consume mollusks and crustaceans.
Lastly, the Longtailed stingray (raya látigo largo) lives in deep water but females come into the shallow waters of Jaltemba Bay to release eggs. This member of the Whiptail stingrays is sometimes referred to as thorny tailed and is frequently confused with the Diamond stingray.
Most people have heard of the ‘sand shuffle’ and thought it was silly. But, because the nocturnal stingrays tend to burrow in the sand resting during the day, it is important that you drag your feet (rather than step) in order to give the rays a chance to move away. A stepped on stingray will protect itself by launching its tail and injecting venom on contact. Wouldn’t you rather spend your time at the beach sipping a cold beer than in a doctor’s office? 
