My Gracious. Stingrays are migratious.
July 1, 2008 10:12 AM Subscribe
Raise your hand if you just spent a few minutes trying to search for an image of the hotel/casino beach from Mario Sunshine.
posted by DU at 10:19 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by DU at 10:19 AM on July 1, 2008
I know that rays are generally considered very placid and gentle, but I'm trying to imagine sitting in that little boat and having thousands of six foot rays glide silently underneath me.
I imagine it would be beautiful and a bit creepy all at the same time.
For a while they had a number of cownose at the Shedd aquarium, and because of some kind of infection, they had to have their stingers removed. My wife and I always referred to them as 'short-butt rays'. They were absurdly cute.</small.
posted by quin at 10:28 AM on July 1, 2008
I imagine it would be beautiful and a bit creepy all at the same time.
For a while they had a number of cownose at the Shedd aquarium, and because of some kind of infection, they had to have their stingers removed. My wife and I always referred to them as 'short-butt rays'. They were absurdly cute.</small.
posted by quin at 10:28 AM on July 1, 2008
Extremely cool.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:30 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:30 AM on July 1, 2008
Someday, when I'm rich enough to turn eccentric, I want a pool filled with sting rays. They're wonderful creatures.
When I first saw this picture, I assumed it was fake. It's too beautiful and expansive to seem real. It's literally awesome.
posted by Ms. Saint at 10:31 AM on July 1, 2008
When I first saw this picture, I assumed it was fake. It's too beautiful and expansive to seem real. It's literally awesome.
posted by Ms. Saint at 10:31 AM on July 1, 2008
This FPP lede is brought to you by the Union of Apathetic Scientists.
Next up: Groundbreaking cancer research reveals something-or-other.
Joking aside, this is great. Like a swath of seaweed come alive.
posted by Rhaomi at 10:31 AM on July 1, 2008
Next up: Groundbreaking cancer research reveals something-or-other.
Joking aside, this is great. Like a swath of seaweed come alive.
posted by Rhaomi at 10:31 AM on July 1, 2008
Those pictures are just awesome. Between this and the Blue Planet docs, I've been convinced that the ocean is probably the coolest thing there is.
posted by drezdn at 10:37 AM on July 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by drezdn at 10:37 AM on July 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
It's spellbinding -- and it makes you realize that all of these creatures swimming and crawling underneath us that, when we even think about them, we consider at most puny nuisances (ants, cockroaches, stingrays) are a stealthy hop, skip, and a jump away from inheriting the earth.
posted by blucevalo at 10:41 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by blucevalo at 10:41 AM on July 1, 2008
That really made my day. I would so love to be on that boat!
posted by The Light Fantastic at 10:41 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by The Light Fantastic at 10:41 AM on July 1, 2008
Gorgeous. But not something I would like to, say, swim through.
posted by kosem at 10:42 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by kosem at 10:42 AM on July 1, 2008
Very cool. When I was diving in the Caymans the guide took us to a place called Stingray City. It is a sandbar way out in the ocean. You can jump out of the boat and the water is only about 3 to 4 feet deep, that in itself is weird. Hundreds of stingrays start swarming all around you. It was kind of freaky at first and then it turned awesome once it settled in that they weren't going to attack me.
posted by Mr_Zero at 10:43 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by Mr_Zero at 10:43 AM on July 1, 2008
I've been convinced that the ocean is probably the coolest thing there is.
This is easily beyond a shadow of a doubt correct.
posted by shakespeherian at 10:45 AM on July 1, 2008
This is easily beyond a shadow of a doubt correct.
posted by shakespeherian at 10:45 AM on July 1, 2008
I like that a group of stingrays is called a "fever".
posted by DanielDManiel at 10:49 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by DanielDManiel at 10:49 AM on July 1, 2008
I just learned from the article that a group of stingrays is called a fever. That is almost equally awesome.
posted by jinjo at 10:50 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by jinjo at 10:50 AM on July 1, 2008
I know, how cool is that? It's no "murder", but it's still pretty doggone cool.
posted by Mister_A at 11:07 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by Mister_A at 11:07 AM on July 1, 2008
Somebody ought to tell them that one of their ranks already got the Crocodile Hunter.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:11 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:11 AM on July 1, 2008
Pretty Pointy Fishies!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:23 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:23 AM on July 1, 2008
Imagine if they all banded together, that would look so cool.
posted by Mister_A at 11:23 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by Mister_A at 11:23 AM on July 1, 2008
I still like unkindness of ravens.
posted by shakespeherian at 11:26 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by shakespeherian at 11:26 AM on July 1, 2008
Nature really is beautiful, especially the sea. I'm glad that we will at least have pictures of what it looked like to show our children and grandchildren.
posted by Grimp0teuthis at 11:32 AM on July 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Grimp0teuthis at 11:32 AM on July 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
Was anyone else reminded of this computer game? I immediately thought of bouncing from stingray to stingray, gliding almost weightlessly between each bounce.
posted by infinitywaltz at 11:32 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by infinitywaltz at 11:32 AM on July 1, 2008
Cool! My first thought was 'fake', too. Looks like a real-life M.C. Escher drawing.
posted by AwkwardPause at 11:36 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by AwkwardPause at 11:36 AM on July 1, 2008
That is great! Unkindness of ravens! I am being annoyingly emphatic!
posted by Mister_A at 11:41 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by Mister_A at 11:41 AM on July 1, 2008
An Unkindness of Ravens is my next side-project band name.
posted by jimmythefish at 11:44 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by jimmythefish at 11:44 AM on July 1, 2008
Sweet God, that photo looks like something by M.C. Escher.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:50 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:50 AM on July 1, 2008
Show of hands, who looked for the gigantic mother ray with a 200 foot wingspan? You know it's out there.
Beautiful pictures and post, thanks for that.
posted by empyrean at 11:50 AM on July 1, 2008 [2 favorites]
Beautiful pictures and post, thanks for that.
posted by empyrean at 11:50 AM on July 1, 2008 [2 favorites]
Wow, I feel like a lot of documentaries and animations I've seen position stingrays as the "birds of the sea," gliding and whatnot. This news makes that comparison seem even more apt.
posted by rmless at 11:56 AM on July 1, 2008
posted by rmless at 11:56 AM on July 1, 2008
And here is a list of other bird group names, if you are interested.
I personally like a "deceit of lapwings."
posted by rmless at 12:03 PM on July 1, 2008
I personally like a "deceit of lapwings."
posted by rmless at 12:03 PM on July 1, 2008
Sweet God, that photo looks like something by M.C. Escher.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:50 AM on July 1 [+] [!]
My thoughts exactly.
posted by doctor_negative at 12:15 PM on July 1, 2008
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:50 AM on July 1 [+] [!]
My thoughts exactly.
posted by doctor_negative at 12:15 PM on July 1, 2008
stingray population boom
Until we figure out a way to commercially exploit them. Jellyfish will inherit the earth.
posted by stbalbach at 12:36 PM on July 1, 2008
Until we figure out a way to commercially exploit them. Jellyfish will inherit the earth.
posted by stbalbach at 12:36 PM on July 1, 2008
Amazing photos. It's sort of funny to me that they're at the Daily Mail's site though.
posted by jamesonandwater at 1:21 PM on July 1, 2008
posted by jamesonandwater at 1:21 PM on July 1, 2008
Gorgeous. But not something I would like to, say, swim through.
I've waded through smaller schools of these in shallow waters. fun times.
The stinger on the cownose is so far up the tail it's non-whippable. these guys are really cute. They are sometimes caught and killed; their flesh is cut into cylinders and sold as "scallops."
posted by eustatic at 1:33 PM on July 1, 2008
I've waded through smaller schools of these in shallow waters. fun times.
The stinger on the cownose is so far up the tail it's non-whippable. these guys are really cute. They are sometimes caught and killed; their flesh is cut into cylinders and sold as "scallops."
posted by eustatic at 1:33 PM on July 1, 2008
Original location of the photos. Only a year before the newspapers were noticed...
posted by rory at 1:52 PM on July 1, 2008
posted by rory at 1:52 PM on July 1, 2008
Are stingrays tasty? I ask because they look like they might be delicious.
posted by srboisvert at 2:58 PM on July 1, 2008
posted by srboisvert at 2:58 PM on July 1, 2008
Arc: The rays, swimming in a long line, was spotted by amateur photographer Sandra Critelli
That is quite the amateur photograph.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 6:18 PM on July 1, 2008
That is quite the amateur photograph.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 6:18 PM on July 1, 2008
Skate and rays are often used for take crab and fake shellfish. The view is that they don't have much taste, like shark.
On the Southern coast, people who are known as "poor" eat them when they catch them. They get hooked sometimes and are then beaten to death with a gaff hook or baseball bat, or sometimes knifed between the eyes.
Gulf fishing is more violent than people might realize.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 2:24 PM on July 3, 2008 [1 favorite]
On the Southern coast, people who are known as "poor" eat them when they catch them. They get hooked sometimes and are then beaten to death with a gaff hook or baseball bat, or sometimes knifed between the eyes.
Gulf fishing is more violent than people might realize.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 2:24 PM on July 3, 2008 [1 favorite]
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posted by yhbc at 10:17 AM on July 1, 2008