(Animalplanet.com) |
SEAL BEACH -- Six people were stung by stingrays at Seal Beach on Wednesday. None had to be hospitalized.
Lifeguards say swimmers and surfers should be extra careful when they head into the water because of the stingray invasion.
Lifeguard Chief Joe Bailey says more than 90 people have been stung by the sea creatures in the last 30 days. Lifeguards have set up first-aid stations in the area for swimmers and surfers who get stung.
One-third of the nation's stingray injuries have been reported along Seal Beach, according to Bailey. He says the stingrays are attracted to the area because of warmer water near the mouth of the San Gabriel River. A power plant located in the beach city raises ocean temperatures slightly, making for an appealing environment for the bottom-dwellers, Baily said.
500 stings were reported in Seal Beach in 2008 -- the highest number in a decade and nearly double the recorded number of stings in 2006. Experts at Cal State Long Beach say anywhere from 16,000 to 40,000 stingrays make a home in Seal Beach waters.
Bailey said lifeguards are putting up signs near the west end of the pier warning swimmers and surfers about the stingray danger.
Most people are stung when a they step on a stingray, causing the creature's barbed tails to whip up and puncture the foot or leg, Bailey said.
He advises swimmers to do the "stingray shuffle" when entering the water, which involves keeping feet planted in the sand and moving them back and forth.
If you are stung, putting your foot in a bucket of hot water will neutralize the ray's venom, Bailey said.
Lifeguards say swimmers and surfers should be extra careful when they head into the water because of the stingray invasion.
Lifeguard Chief Joe Bailey says more than 90 people have been stung by the sea creatures in the last 30 days. Lifeguards have set up first-aid stations in the area for swimmers and surfers who get stung.
One-third of the nation's stingray injuries have been reported along Seal Beach, according to Bailey. He says the stingrays are attracted to the area because of warmer water near the mouth of the San Gabriel River. A power plant located in the beach city raises ocean temperatures slightly, making for an appealing environment for the bottom-dwellers, Baily said.
500 stings were reported in Seal Beach in 2008 -- the highest number in a decade and nearly double the recorded number of stings in 2006. Experts at Cal State Long Beach say anywhere from 16,000 to 40,000 stingrays make a home in Seal Beach waters.
Bailey said lifeguards are putting up signs near the west end of the pier warning swimmers and surfers about the stingray danger.
Most people are stung when a they step on a stingray, causing the creature's barbed tails to whip up and puncture the foot or leg, Bailey said.
He advises swimmers to do the "stingray shuffle" when entering the water, which involves keeping feet planted in the sand and moving them back and forth.
If you are stung, putting your foot in a bucket of hot water will neutralize the ray's venom, Bailey said.
