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A Fever of Cownose Rays!

Cownose rays along the shore

 

Sharing a recent article by Daniella Medina from the Orlando Sentinel about an incredible new video shot on Bowman’s Beach:

A week off school brought Canadian tourist Cameron Perdue, 25, to the sunny, sandy beaches of Sanibel Island, where his drone captured a breathtaking sight of a fever of Cownose rays traveling north along the shoreline on Thursday.

“I have a drone and I happened to have it with me and we were just sitting on the beach just relaxing and a kid was like, ‘Hey, there’s a stingray,’” said the business student from Laurentian University in Ontario. “So we went over really quick to look and then I thought, ‘Oh, I should just get a drone and fly it up and see.’”

At eye level, Perdue said it looked as if there were 20 stingrays swimming down the shoreline but once he flew the drone up, there were hundreds of them.

According to National Geographic, stingrays — like Floridians — prefer warmer weather. It’s common to see large groups of rays closer to the shoreline in search of warm patches of water. Perdue’s drone captured the footage when the high was recorded at 83 degrees.

In addition to the ethereal stingray shot, Perdue was able to capture a dolphin and its calf swimming along, being trailed by what is believed to be a baby shark.

The video quickly spread on social media and got over 18,000 views on Facebook on Perdue’s business page, Incapture.

To view the video, click here!

A final note:

Research scientist Rick Bartleson from the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation says that you need not be afraid if you come upon Cownose rays, as they are unlikely to sting you.  He explains that the rays, named for the two bumps on their heads, are safe to be around and will most likely swim away from you if you come close to one.

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