Hundreds of Stingrays Swarm New York Coast

Amazing new video footage showcases a congregation of hundreds of stingrays – a phenomenon marine biologists refer to as a "fever" – off the coast of Southampton, New York. Captured by drone by Joanna Steidle, these videos depict the creatures gracefully gliding just below the water's surface, resembling a multitude of ravioli floating in a pale blue broth.

These are cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus), named for their distinctive snout that resembles that of a cow. They can reach an impressive size of up to three to four feet in width. These rays undertake migrations, traveling north along the Atlantic coast from Florida each summer as ocean temperatures rise. They thrive in water temperatures ranging from approximately 21 to 26 degrees Celsius (about 70 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit). Their diet consists of clams, oysters, and crustaceans, which they crush with their powerful jaws. For self-defense, they are equipped with a mildly venomous barb on their tail.

With ocean temperatures escalating at an unprecedented pace, warmer northern coastal waters may be allowing these rays to reach these areas earlier and remain for extended periods. Dean Grubbs, a marine biologist at Florida State University, commented to The Guardian that historically, large groups of cownose rays typically only ventured as far as the Chesapeake Bay, with very few individuals observed further north.

The presence of these rays in New York waters is not a recent occurrence; they have been observed there since at least the 1800s. The advent of drone technology is significantly enhancing our ability to witness these natural spectacles, providing us with these extraordinary perspectives of the ocean.