Hundreds of beachgoers feel the sting of rays this summer
Injuries caused by stingrays are up in Newport Beach this summer, prompting lifeguards to remind beachgoers to do the “stingray shuffle” as they enter the water.
Shuffling one’s feet along the ocean bottom to kick up sand has long been a method of scaring off stingrays, which have been showing up more frequently along local beaches because of small surf and warmer ocean water.
In Newport Beach, 219 stingray injuries have been reported from June through this month. Fifty-three injuries were reported in June, 115 in July and 51 so far in August, said Newport Beach lifeguard Battalion Chief Mike Halphide.
Last summer, more than 80 stingray injuries were reported. Halphide attributes the uptick this year to higher ocean temperatures, which tend to attract stingrays and encourage more beachgoers to get in the water, and calmer than normal surf, which often causes stingrays to venture closer to shore.
At Huntington City Beach, about 250 stingray injuries have been reported from June through August, which is about average for the area, according to Huntington Beach Marine Safety Lt. Eric Dieterman.
Laguna Beach lifeguards did not have statistics available Wednesday, but Marine Safety Lt. Kai Bond said there has been an increase in reports of stingray injuries in the past few months.
“There is a significant increase in stingrays when there is little to no surf,” Bond said.
A swell that is expected to generate up to 6-foot waves and strong rip currents Friday and Saturday may cause the stingrays to move to calmer waters, but authorities still suggest entering the water with caution.
Round stingrays, which are commonly found in Southern California, are generally passive animals but can whip their tail and sting beachgoers on the ankle or top of the foot if they accidentally step on them. The sting is rarely fatal but is quite painful.
“They can take some tough guys down,” Halphide said of the stingray’s venomous barb. “It doesn’t look like much of anything, but it’s an excruciating pain.”
To relieve the discomfort of the sting, Halphide suggests soaking the injured area in hot water for at least 45 minutes, which breaks up the enzyme that’s causing the pain.
Staff writers Brittany Woolsey and Bryce Alderton contributed to this report.
Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
