Killer Stingrays!

What's Up With The Stingrays?

First Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray - considered to be a fluke accident and now this past week, a lady was struck in her head by a flying/jumping stingray and knocked to the deck of the boat - and her death, by one of these gnarly critters.

I don't know about you but I'm getting afraid of the darn Ocean lately and don't plan on doing any saltwater activities. Let's not forget the Bull Shark banquet of a couple of summers back along the Southeastern seaboard of the USA either. Then we've got box jellyfish, scorpion fish, a bunch of poison critters in natural, tidal, wading pools, just waiting to be stepped on. Not forgetting the whole slew of known man eating sharks to worry about.

Just this week I saw a young girl who was disfigured and has had dozens of surgeries - to be followed by dozens more, over the next several years, to repair the mess that a sea lion made of her when he attacked her and almost bit her head off, "in a display of territorial behavior."

It's as if the denizens of the ocean had a meeting and decided that they would pitch in and put the "smack down" on any humans they encountered - just to let them know they were not happy with things!

Is it over fishing that drives these sharks in closer to the shores than ever before or that more bathers are in the ocean than ever before? I'm asking because I have no clue. We do know by underwater video photography that Steve Irwin was in a spot where the stingray may have felt or seen movement above and approaching, following it. This could possibly trigger a self defense mechanism that caused the fatal barb to strike Mr. Irwin, causing his death. He was such a gutsy, knowledgeable, affable, guy and I always thought if he ever got hurt it would have been by a snake or a crocodile but a Sting Ray? The world grieves over his loss. But, the families and friends, as well as bystanders of these other horrific events, mourn the loss of their loved ones too. It just seems kind of strange. Any comments?