Located outside the Beach Tower, this sandy, shallow lagoon affords guests an up-close look at Southern Stingrays. The Southern Stingrays found here have venomous barbs located on top of their tails for use only as a defense mechanism. When rays encounter a predator, the tail is brought forward causing the barb to stand up and with a whipping action, the barb is injected into the predator. Stingrays are relatively docile creatures and not all are venomous. During feeding times, guests have the opportunity to touch and feed the rays.
features:
Stingray
Dasyatis Americana
Usually found partially buried in sandy bottoms adjacent to reefs, they feed on buried clams, scallops, small crabs and worms. They are named after the barbed "stingers" located on their muscular tails, used solely in self-defense against sharks which are their natural predators. They can grow to a width of 6 ft.
10/04/2007