Swimming in the ocean is not without its risks; however, it’s a rare case that so many incidents happen on the very same day. This past weekend, 176 individual swimmers reported being stung by stingrays. Here’s more on the reason why so many stingrays happened to be in the shallow waters of California’s famous Huntington Beach.
The waters of Huntington Beach have been especially warm recently, and are inviting to both swimmers and stingrays alike.
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Just last Saturday, nearly 200 individual reports of stingray stings were made. The reason has everything to do with water temperature.
HadelProductions / Getty Images That particular Saturday saw ideal conditions for stingrays to draw close to the shore. The animals bury themselves partially under the sand. Swimmers wading into the ocean don’t see the stingrays and step on them by accident.
Fortunately, stingrays aren’t aggressive and don’t look to sting, but they will react when stepped on. While the sting isn’t lethal, it’s certainly painful.
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Temperatures have since cooled down and there aren’t quite as many stingrays lurking near the shoreline. Have you ever been stung by a stingray before? Join the conversation in the comments below!
Mythungoc Photography / Moment via Getty Images
HadelProductions / Getty Images
That particular Saturday saw ideal conditions for stingrays to draw close to the shore. The animals bury themselves partially under the sand. Swimmers wading into the ocean don’t see the stingrays and step on them by accident.
James Gritz / Moment via Getty Images
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Address: Huntington Beach, CA, USA
