Fishermen Wowed by 400-Pound Stingray Catch

The Long Island Sound is usually home to various species of fish and other marine creatures, with even some whales making the occasional appearance. Stingrays, however, aren’t usually spotted, as they often keep toward the ocean floor. 

On Sept. 28, Connecticut Fish and Wildlife officials got quite the surprise when they reeled in a roughtail stingray weighing in at approximately 400 pounds. Its wingspan was more than five feet, and the animal measured over six feet long from snout to tail tip. 

“Our Long Island Sound Trawl Survey crew never knows what they might see on a given day out on the Sound—yesterday was a stand-out example,” the organization shared on Facebook of the massive animal. 

“These gentle giants are found along the Atlantic coast from New England to Florida but are relatively rare in Long Island Sound,” the post continued. “Like all stingrays, roughtails have a venomous spine in their tail—but not to worry—they are not aggressive, and don’t frequent shallow nearshore waters where people wade and swim.”

In the photos, the animal is turned on its back with its pink belly facing up. The fishermen didn’t keep it onboard for long, though, opting to return it to its home before too much time had passed. 

“Rather than attempt to roll the animal over, our crew quickly took some measurements and immediately returned the ray to the water to watch it swim away alive and well,” officials said.

Always remember to do the “stingray shuffle” if you ever find yourself in a ray’s path, even if their faces on their undersides may be cute.