Stingrays

[marlin1962]

hi raiders,

when i was drifting along the weedbeds at the entrance my noticed a stick like thing

sticking out of the weed just near a duck everytime the duck got close the stick went up out of the water

higher, after we drifted closer we noticed they were big stingrays laying in the shallows sticking there

tails in and out of the surface, does anyone know if this is a deterant for other preditors (if they have any)

or just sunbaking - - just curious.

cheers marty.

ps. the stingrays seem to be in packs of 4 and around 80/90cm round some stumpy tails ,some very long.

didn't seem to worry about us at all.

[Laredo]

i've never seen them stick their barb out of the water

[jewgaffer]

Hi Marty I have seen a stingray in clear water raise its tail while I was busy pumping nippers in a foot of water. I've often seen sting ray impressions close together over a wide area at the bottom of the tide.... I think twice nowadays about wading out without gumboots on particularly around sand flats.

The tail is lethal and they use it as a whip to stun their prey..... They raise their tails like scorpions when threatened and particularly when birds are around.

The rays you saw would have they raised their tails as a defence mechanism against those ducks.

Regards Marty & thanks for the pm.

jewgaffer

Edited September 29, 2007 by jewgaffer

[Bruce the Postie]

Don't know why they do it marty , but i see that sort of thing all the time when i'm walking the hound along the forshore and out on the jettys between Long Jetty and The Entrance.

Some of 'em are BIG BUGGER'S . Glad to see you had a great time with the kids, it's not easy to bait hooks, untangle knots , stop fights and keep them interested long enough to catch some fish .Well done mate.