Stingray feeding

Cayman Islands, Caribbean This is a wild sting ray in it’s natural environment, which is distinctly different from the other photos I’ve been showing you.

Stingrays feed in many areas of the oceanic environment, but sometimes they bury themselves in the sand. Although they can’t see well when they do this, they use their sensitive smell and electro receptors just like sharks do to locate mollusks and suck them up. Adequately crushing them with their strong jaws and teeth, protruding their mouth if they need to.

That’s what this stingray seemed to be doing, all the activity grabs the attention of nearby fish and scavengers, hoping to get some scraps or find something that’s dug up in the sand.

Photographic Details:Canon 20D Shutter Priority 1/200s f/16.0 ISO200 22mm (35mm eq:35.2mm)

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Sea fan sun rays

Cayman Islands, Caribbean I can’t get over how awesome this little underwater world is! The sun rays are beautiful, the colourful fish help anchor the shot, but what speaks to me about this photo is the inclusion of these people here: If you can snorkle, you can get these shots, just like I did. You can invest in an underwater housing from $300 up to some onholy amount, but I want you to know a shot like this is not beyond your reach!

Photographic Details:Ewa Marine housing, Shutter priority mode Canon 20D 1/250s f/5.6 ISO100 12mm (35mm eq:19.2mm)

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Sting ray city

Cayman Islands, Caribbean These stingrays have become quite accustomed to people seeking a close encounter with them. Aware that we would not hurt them, their guard is down and I can tell even by their body language that they are very comfortable around us. Diving around stingrays in unpopulated areas I could see a stark contrast in the distance they keep from me with the way they wearily glide in the water. This tells me they don’t know what I am and don’t want to find out.

However upon arrival in sting ray city a floating gelatinous pancake of a stingray gingerly glides towards me, instantly smooshing into my body with it’s soft underbelly in hopes of sucking a squid out of my hand. Their small poisonous barb used for defence is in the lowered position, where I can even run my hand across it without incident. These stingrays would circle around me, brush up against me and even seemed to enjoy its encounter and free meal.

I used the same techniques that are further outlined in this post: http://www.kylefoto.com/2011/07/antarctic-underwater-iceberg/