The nostrils, mouth and gill slits on the underside of a stingray compose a big "SMILE"! It is normally not easy to see the undersides of stingrays since they usually agitate the sand and hide beneath it. A place called "Stingray City" in Grand Cayman consists of a large, shallow reserve where the rays live, and snorkeling is possible since the rays are used to the presence of humans. The rays in Stingray City are so active that one of them even "climb" on my camera. 一隻好奇的刺魟,完全不在意我的存在,直接撲到我的相機上!我才發現,平時由於總是貼著海底沙地覓食游動,因此難以看見的刺魟口部以及其腹部,原來是一個超可愛的大大笑顏!
A close encounter with stingrays at sandbar, grand cayman. 大開曼的魟魚之都(Stingray City)早期是當地漁民捕魚後,處理漁獲,清洗內臟的地方,也因此吸引了許多魟魚前來覓食。日子久了,這些魟魚就定居了下來。當地據統計目前約有 90-100隻刺魟,每隻刺魟平均每年為大開曼帶來的觀光收益高達驚人的100萬美元!
2018 美國 Beneath The Sea 潛水展 環境保育組 銅牌 Third Prize Winner, Conservation Category, 2018 Beneath The Sea Underwater Photo Competition (USA). 雖然人類船隻的螺旋槳在這隻魟魚身上留下了如此怵目驚心的傷痕,但牠仍然堅強的存活下來。