Have You Ever Touched A Stingray?

I have never touch any stingray before. I have been in a situation of being near one when I was swimming but have never been so near. From what I heard, if the stingray stings you, it is very painful. I have even heard that the pain may even cause a heart attack should it stings you in the chest.

I stepped on one, does that count? Didn't get stung. It was lying on the bottom about two feet of Gulf water and about the size of a garbage can lid. It spooked and shot off. I said, "Sh!t" and then I did.
The really scary part came when this stingray was apparently part of a rather large school who were all apparently snoozing on the bottom. About 50 stingrays all took off at the same time, some broke to the surface.
I had a Jaws flashback, screamed like your baby sister and became unofficially, only the second man in recorded history to walk on water.

I was on a cruise ship excursion when I touched a sting ray. It was so cool. They are slimy and whatnot. We even got to feed them. This was several years befor the Crocodile Hunter was killed by one. I was so small, one of the sting rays really wanted the food I was holding and it tried to climb up my back until it reached my hand pushing me under for a split second. It was a little scary but I released the food and it went and got it and left me alone. I didn't panic because I knew that I had a lot of people around me and I knew to hold my breath and not move (that's what the instructor had told us younger ones). Everything was fine I popped right back up and kept swimming and playing with them...I think I was like 10 at the time.

I absolutely LOVE the feel. Something between Velvet and a slimy mud. Horrible description, I know, but I guess that is why I just say FEEL FOR YOURSELF! I have a pass to the Living Planet Aquarium here in Utah so that I can go often (I work at Thanksgiving Point and feel like they are sort of our colleagues we must support each other!!!) and honestly EVERY time I go, I simply must pet the rays. I adore them.

Those that are leery because of Steve Irwin's tragic death, that is why it was so strange... they are EXTREMELY docile creatures, even in the wild. That was even what his last show was ABOUT. The stinger hit him just wrong. It was terribly ironic that after grappling with crocodiles, poisonous snakes, etc. that he would be killed by a ray. They usually are sweeties.

Plus the ones in aquariums and zoos are raised there to be comfortable with even young children stroking their wings. They are beautiful creatures.

I have touched a Stingray at the Monterey Aquarium, which is about 2 hours from our home. My daughter was 8, the first time we went there and they had the rays swimming in an elongated, oblong, shallow pool. We moved here from upstate New York in 1995. You could sit on the side and touch them as they swam past. My daughter wasn't scared, but that was years before the Crocodile Hunter was killed. That would have thrown me off too! I thought they felt like velvet and it did tickle a little. It is really neat to be able to do that and I love that
more and more Zoos and Aquariums are hands on now. Children should be able to
experience other species.

Yep, I sure have! There is an awesome aquarium in Virginia right down the street from where I grew up. We had the yearly passes there and anytime someone came to visit we went there. Plus, a few times we had school field trips out there. They had one of those petting tanks there and I did it every time.

The zoo here in California also has one but they make you pay to do it:( I took my two-year old a few months ago. She didn't want to pet them, just play in the water. It was pretty cute.

I believe the one that killed the crocodile hunter was huge and he had to stab him with his tail. I don't think it's too easy for them to stab in that tank, if they can even.

I have touched a stingray. It was at a Ripley's Aquarium. I was nervous at first but when i read that there stingers are removed...I had to touch one. I thought it was really neat and they didnt feel like i thought they would. They were soft. Its one of those things that i can just say Hey yeah i did that. LOL

Well we had them here at the Calgary Zoo within the last year, but something happened and quite a few of them died. I'm not sure if they figured out what it was or not. All I know, is that when I went to go see them, we weren't allowed to touch them anymore.
Who knows, it could have very well been because someone didn't wash their hands properly.

Hi

Not sure, but a few years ago in Seaworld, Florida, I did touch the underside of some Rays, and gave them food which they took from our hands. Not sure if they were stingrays though

No I have never touched a stingray or been close to one really. I would like to visit a aquarium and see alot of animals from the sea. I have only seen them on television. Yeah the crocodile thing threw me for a loop and I would be afraid to actually touch one now. Cause it is just the case of never knowing if it could happen again.