Trapped on the rocks: 50kg Stingray rescued in Hawke’s Bay

The rescued stingray was about 1.5m long, 1.5m wide, and weighed about 50kg.

A 50kg stingray stranded on rocks was rescued at the Ahuriri shore.

Department of Conservation (DoC) marine ranger Russell Hughes told Hawke’s Bay Today the rangers responded to a call from the public and worked together with a local schoolteacher to refloat the ray using a makeshift stretcher.

“We used the tools available to remove the ray from rocks onto a makeshift stretcher and then float it out in the water. We used a ‘seal board’ to shield ourselves in case of injury and to fend the ray while it recovered,” he said.

Hughes said the short-tail stingray, also known as a smooth ray, was not injured, but was tired and stressed after getting stuck as the tide went out.

“When the stingray was refloated it remained in the water for about 20 minutes until it was strong enough to swim away.”

The stingray, rescued recently, was about 1.5m long, and 1.5m wide.

“Many people fear rays but in reality, they are very placid creatures. Their barb is used defensively,” Hughes said.

“Good practice is to shuffle your feet when getting in the water especially if it’s murky to avoid treading on them ... you must always be careful around them as they have powerful barbs in their tail.”

Stingrays are commonly found along New Zealand’s coastlines and are part of the elasmobranch family, which also includes sharks.

New Zealand has 26 species of rays, including stingrays, electric rays and skates.

“They feed on molluscs, crustaceans and small fish. They are carnivores and often prey on animals that live on or under the seabed, like clams, oysters, snails and shrimp,” Hughes said.

DoC encourages anyone interested in protecting marine life to stay alert and report any animals in distress, while remembering to keep a safe distance.

Call 0800 DOC HOT if concerned for the welfare of a marine animal.