When do stingrays come out

As the June gloom lifts off of Southern California beaches, and the sunshine and waves beckon, it's a good time to review stingray safety. You don't want to sneak up on a stingray because its response will be to keep still and stay hidden, says Chris Lowe, a marine biology professor with California State University at Long Beach, who has had USC Sea Grant support to study rays. Lifeguards often have buckets of hot water at their stands, just for this purpose — one more reason to swim at beaches with lifeguards.

Richard Clark, director of the division of toxicology at UC San Diego Medical Center, recommends soaking the injured area for about 15 minutes. The ideal water temperature is warmer than a hot tub degrees , but less than degrees.

If you are still in a lot of pain after 15 minutes, he recommends seeing a doctor or going to an emergency room.

At the doctor's office, expect to have X-rays taken because, on rare occasions, part of the stinger can break off. You may also be given a tetanus shot. Clark also often puts patients on antibiotics, not to treat the sting, but because of water-borne bacterial pathogens, the main worry being Vibrio , which can be present in coastal waters. Clark says that the venom in the stingray is heat labile, meaning heat denatures and destroys the toxin that causes inflammation and pain. To avoid getting accidentally stung by a stingray, shuffle your feet through the sand to alert the buried ray that you are approaching and to give them the chance to skitter away Lowe et al.

Beachgoers should follow all posted warnings and information which is usually found at the entrances of beaches. A lifeguard can also provide more information about current conditions and wildlife to watch out for at their beach if you ask!

Most stingray related injuries occur in the afternoon, especially when the tide is lower and the water is warmer. This is likely because that is when there are the most people using the beach.

The most common place to be stung by a stingray is on your feet. Hot water not scalding makes the pain from a stingray go away by breaking down the toxin. This may take more than an hour of soaking, so be patient. Also, remember that a stingray injury causes a laceration so make sure you disinfect it after soaking and keep an eye out for later infection. One of our goals in studying round stingrays is to share knowledge with the public in order to improve beach safety.

There is growing public concern as the number of stingray related injuries reported nationally each year has increased with thousands of cases being reported each year.

The historic depletion of large predators of round stingrays sharks, giant sea bass, sea lions has resulted in a population left largely unchecked resulting in population increases over the last 50 years. In addition, the loss of estuarine habitat used by round stingrays has driven populations to seek out suitable habitat along coastal beaches in closer proximity to people.

Due to the high population density of round stingrays and the increasing number of people visiting beaches each year, more interactions between stingrays and people are likely.

Beachgoers are attracted to Seal Beach for a variety of aquatic activities including surfing, wading, swimming, and bodysurfing. There are thousands of visitors to southern California beaches each summer. Beaches are especially crowded on Labor Day weekend. As more research on round stingrays is conducted we can make better informed decisions about how to share the marine environment. Seal Beach, CA is located near the mouth of the San Gabriel River where two electrical generating stations release seawater that is used for cooling the stations.

The seawater released from these stations after use has a higher temperature than what is naturally found in the river which then makes its way towards Seal Beach. Because of this input of very warm water to the local environment more stingrays are attracted to the area. Abundance was also greater in Seal Beach when compared to the nearby control site in Surfside, CA which does not receive an input of warm water.

Round stingray abundance during sampling was negatively correlated with swell height i. Abundance within the first 30 m from shore is greater when conditions are calm i. During most times of the year male round stingrays are more abundant nearshore, but between the months of June and September-October female stingray abundance increases.

This is likely due to mating during the early summer and for a reproductive benefit to females in the fall. The spine is a unique weapon in that it not only can puncture or lacerate its attacker, but also can transmit a venom from the mucous coating on the spine via grooves running along the ventral side.

This venom can cause intense pain and throbbing — even the toughest surfers have been brought to tears by stingrays.

Stingray spines are like fingernails, in that they lack nerves and grow back after a period of time Lowe et al. Round stingrays possess the ability to replace damaged or lost caudal spines outside of the typical shedding period. Undergraduate student Justin Hackett examined how tooth morphology varies across age and sex of round stingrays. Results showed that round stingray dentition is most influenced by age and sex. Female round stingray teeth are rounded and diamond shaped.

Females do not exhibit differences in tooth shape between juveniles and adult stages, but mature females have significantly larger teeth than juvenile females. Mature male round stingray teeth are larger than mature female round stingray teeth and become more triangular in shape only during the breeding season, as males use their teeth to hold females for during copulation. This makes them hard to see, but they will only sting if they are stepped on. The SeaWorld website reports they like to eat worms, clams, oysters, snails, shrimp, small fish and squid.

Because of their size in relation to humans, people are often stung in the foot or other lower extremities. He added that it is rare for the barb to break off in the skin, but if it does, medical intervention from a hospital would be required. The litmus test for us is if the person is still in pain when they take their foot or affected area out of the hot water. The La Jolla Shores lifeguard tower has treatment equipment for stingray injuries, and McBride advises those with concerns to ask lifeguards where it is safe to swim.

Support local journalism. At a time when local news is more important than ever, support from our readers is essential. If you are able to, please support the La Jolla Light today. Fear has been instilled in people since the tragic death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin in , but it is actually rare to die from a ray injury.

Stingrays are not aggressive. They are curious and playful animals when there are divers and snorkellers around, and if they feel threatened their first instinct is to swim away. So take lots of photos and enjoy watching them gliding through the water — but from afar. Never threaten or corner a ray, and always keep an eye out for their tail — and never touch the barb on the end of it.