Cortez round stingrays (Urolophus maculates) in the San
Felipe region look like brownish discs with large black and
light circular spots. They can grow up to 16.5 inches and inhabit
shallow sandy bottoms around islands and bays.
This ray's range is from the Sea of Cortez and
the outer coast of Baja California from Bahia Magdalena south.
Their intertidal depth descends to about 6.6 feet and they feed
on worms and crustaceans during the day. Be careful with this
type of fish because if you step on one, the sharp spine embedded
in its tail will whip up and puncture your foot or leg. This
wound is extremely painful, but not fatal. As a safeguard, it
is best to do the "Stingray Shuffle" while walking
into the sea for a swim. This entails walking without lifting
your feet, much like cross-country skiing. Each foot then pushes
sand forward and startles the rays from your path. But just
in case you forget to keep your feet firmly planted in the sand,
pay a quick visit to THIS
SITE
and print the procedure used for treating
a puncture wound caused by a ray.
It has also been alleged that a company called
Bethurum makes a product called Sting-A-Way that greatly reduces
the discomfort of a stingray puncture wound. It can be found
at THIS
SITE.
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A ray that can accomodate any shoe size. |