SEAL BEACH

It may be too early to tell if clippings of stingers by researchers recently in Seal Beach have reduced painful stingray encounters with beachgoers, but only four people received treatment for stings during this past busy weekend. About 20 required treatment for stings Memorial Day weekend.

Lifeguard Lt. Ross Pounds said the above-average high surf may have contributed to the lower number of stingray reports. With the higher surf, people are less likely to stand in shallow water where the stingrays can inflict a painful wallop, he said.

Biologists and Cal State Long Beach students have been removing the 1-inch barbs from rays as part of a migration study that began in March.

“I wouldn’t be willing to say there was a difference [in the number of stings] until people start coming up to us and say they bumped into rays and didn’t get stung,” Pounds said.