30 California swimmers stung by stingrays

LA JOLLA, Calif. — Ambulances were called to La Jolla Wednesday afternoon after at least 30 people were stung by stingrays.

The attacks happened at both La Jolla Shores and Blacks Beach up the coast to the north.

Lifeguards said that at one point, they were treating 11 or 12 people at the same time.

Source

Looks like the sea creatures know who has messed up their ocean and are really pi$$ed off!

"We've really had a large amount of folks affected today, so I would say it's not normal," said Lifeguard Sgt. John Sandmeyer.

(Quote from your link)

Wow! I was just talking about this on another thread. Thanks for adding this info to the boards!

There's growing speculation - as reported in the bible (don't kill the messenger folks, I'm just saying) that animals, in the end times, will 'turn' on man.

Wow...

Just in case you're interested here's the link...

'End Times': When Animals Attack!

peace

[edit on 15-7-2010 by silo13]

Stingrays do not "attack". People step on stingrays laying on the bottom. Their barbs are purely defensive. It sounds like there was a congregation of rays. It's been known to happen.

Getting stung by a ray is a more serious matter, especially if encountering a congregation of them. During the summer, stingrays move inshore and are most commonly found in estuaries, bays and along calm sand beaches, Lowe explains. "So the most likely places people encounter them would be if they were swimming at a bay beach or along a calm, sandy, muddy shoreline. They can aggregate in very, very large densities."

When stepped on, a stingray whips up its long, barb-tipped tail.

www.ens-newswire.com...

reply to post by Phage

Stingrays do not "attack". People step on stingrays laying on the bottom.

Tell that to Steve Irwin.

Unless that is, he was 'walking' on his CHEST.

No, he was swimming above the ray and it attacked him. Defensive or no.

Any threatened animal will attack. Period. And yeah, that includes Stingrays...

Peace

[edit on 15-7-2010 by silo13]

reply to post by silo13

Steve Irwin was swimming very close above a ray. Following it, harassing it. It responded defensively, not aggressively.


[edit on 7/15/2010 by Phage]

reply to post by silo13


Don't forget to tack this guy on:
en.wikipedia.org...

His name is Gustave, he's a huge crocodile who kills for fun and sport.

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by silo13

 

Steve Irwin was swimming very close above a ray. Following it, harassing it. It responded defensively, not aggressively.


[edit on 7/15/2010 by Phage]

True. I always keep a few metres distance from them.

One of my mates still swears he would have tried to touch it.

reply to post by Phage


Thank you Phage, I was going to say the same thing - these were not "attacks". this is self-defense, the same thing any animal will do if you step on them.
People need to stop attributing human values to animal behavior. If animals attack a person there is usually a darn good reason for them to do so. Only humans take delight in needless violence.

When I was 3 years old in Huntington Beach cal. I was seen dragging a live Stingray by the tail across the shoreline, lol.

I feel STRONGLY this is because EVERYTHING is being affected by the Bp disaster and everyone in the ocean is at a massive survival level.

We will begin to see much more of these types of happenings as the Gulfcoast survivors move into areas not so common for them.

I've had stringrays act aggressively towrds me while scuba driving (I was an instructor for 5 years), so yes rays can attack, it's just extremely rare for them to do so.

Never say an animal 'will not...' they will react just like a human will sometimes. They cannot be classified as having only one mode of behaviour.

Cheers
Shane

[edit on 15/7/10 by shamus78]

Ok, people, I am from PR for those that doesn't know what is that is the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, yes is an Island, surrounded by all kind of fish and water mammals.

Sting rays have seasons, just like jelly fish we in my Island learn very early to avoid the beaches during those seasons.

Sometimes something happens during the off season that brings this type of incidents closes to where people share the beaches with sea animals.

But they are rare, never less it happens.

Sound like an attack on humans but actually is humans the ones that are attacking the waters that belong to sea animals.

When is a lot of people in the water you are going to see more victims to this incidents.

And don't get me started when barracudas are around beach swimmers, I remember how we were able to spot them right away also and run out of the water.

Thankfully Sharks only come close to the Island shores on certain northern areas and those are banned from swimming, with the exception of stupid youngsters that swim in those areas either drunk or for the challenge (my husband did that when he was a teen).



[edit on 15-7-2010 by marg6043]

reply to post by shamus78

Never say an animal 'will not...' they will react just like a human will sometimes. They cannot be classified as having only one mode of behavior.

Ahh, a voice of wisdom sans rhetoric. Nice to hear.

I've worked with wild and domestic animals all my life. Horses in distress, ostrich, feral species of many kinds, etc.

The reason I'm still alive? Exactly what you stated above.

The moment you pigeonhole an animal? Get out of the water...(paddock, pen, barn, forest, jungle, etc)

I can't tell you how many times I've gone to pick up an animal in disgrace with an injured owner who repeats the rhetoric - 'But they never attack! What could be wrong!' while they hobble about on a broken leg, waving a bitten hand, or squinting with one good eye, the other hiding behind an eye-patch and a painful bruise.
Me? I just smile, nod my head, load the animal up on my trailer and make tracks for home.

Sure, as a general rule stingrays don't attack... Does that mean they won't or can't or don't.

Obviously something we wont agree on but I can bet you a few out of those 60 (now) people who were stung recently wouldn't agree either.

Peace