Stingrays spotted in uMhlanga
Sightings have been reported in uMhlanga, eMdloti and Isipingo Beach over the past two weeks.
LOVE is in the air, it would seem, or more precisely, in the water along the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) shoreline as several stingrays have been seen courting from the beaches. A pair of these cartilaginous fish, which are related to sharks, were spotted near the uMhlanga Lighthouse on Wednesday.
Sightings have been reported from uMhlanga, eMdloti and Isipingo Beach over the past two weeks, confirmed Mike Anderson-Reade, head of operations at the KZN Sharksboard.
According to Anderson-Reade, the sightings are normal and not uncommon during the summer months. “The stingrays generally mate during the summer months, so it is not uncommon to spot them during this time of the year. During the courtship the creatures often swim to the surface, where their ‘wings’ can be seen splashing among the waves. People either assume that the creatures are tangled in shark or fish nets and are in distress, or mistake them for sharks,” he explained.
Anderson-Reade said that the stingrays pose no serious threat to beachgoers. “They are generally harmless and skittish creatures. If approached by humans they will swim away. However, they are armed with barbed stingers and will use them if they feel threatened or are provoked,” he explained.
Australian wildlife expect, Steve Irwin (aka ‘The Crocodile Hunter’) was killed after a stingray barb pierced his chest on 4 September, 2006 while filming an underwater documentary, ‘Ocean’s Deadliest’.
There are dozens of different species of stingrays, and according to the information gathered by the sightings it would seem that Eagle Stingrays have graced the KZN oceans.
