Southern stingray in the Bahamas - dancing in the light.

Two members of the shark family swimming along the shimmering, sandy ocean bottom.

Hypanus americanus, the Bahamian stingray, is a common species in this part of the ocean.  Although not physically located in the Caribbean, the Bahamas are strongly associated with it.  I photographed these rays while visiting Half Moon Cay, one of the 700 islands making up the Bahamian archipelago.

I love the marble-like streaks of light that cut through the image.  They are caused by the water's irregularly shaped surface that bends light, causing some areas to be brighter than average and other areas to be darker than average.

Southern stingrays are not generally dangerous.  They are rather docile members of the Condrichthyes, the family that makes up the sharks, rays, skates and sawfish.  Their "bones" are made of cartilage and are not ossified into hard, calcified structures.  Stingrays do have a tail barb that they can use to defend themselves if they feel threatened.  Stepping on a stingray is a sure way to experience the pain associated with annoying one.

Southern stingrays are carnivores and feed on bottom-dwelling organisms.  Like sharks, they have organs called ampullae of Lorenzini that detect tiny electric currents caused by living organisms.  They will pick up crustaceans, clams, worms, and small fish.  The hard, flat bony plates in their mouths are used to crush their food, spitting out the hard bits and swallowing the soft.

The "stinger" of the ray is a hard, barbed structure that has backward-pointing edges that allow easy penetration but difficult removal.  Longitudinal channels in the denticle contain toxins that are protein-based and cause pain, nausea, and cell death.  Being stung rarely results in death, unless the barb penetrates vital organs or severs an artery.

To avoid being stung, it is suggested when walking in sandy waters to do the "stingray shuffle," that is to slide your feet along the bottom rather than lifting them up and stepping.  It may just inspire a new dance.

Com'on, everyone - let's do the stingray shuffle.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com