The conditions for walking today were ideal. The weather was mild and the sky was cloudy, hence no strong rays of light affecting your vision. When I reached the pier, I found Dick and Logan deep in a conversation about stingrays. Logan was saying that he thought there were quite a few different species of rays living in Moreton Bay, however, that he was not sure how many.
Joe, one of the local fishermen, told me that he had seen Eagle Rays recently. These look like other stingrays but have long tails, wide wingspans, blunt noses and eyes in the sides of their heads. They are able to propel themselves above the surface of the water, making it look as though they can fly. Also, they can give birth to up to as many as six babies at a time.
It is rare for people to be stung by rays and even more rare for a sting to result in a fatality, but it can and does happen. Steve Irwin, the famous “Crocodile Hunter” and a very popular TV personality, was stung by a short-tail ray about 17 years ago. His death made world-news and I’m sure we all remember it well. The barbed spines on the tail of the ray were said to have pierced his heart and he died.
Spotted eagle rays have been reported as being highly intelligent and are believed to be able to live for up to 25 years. They, as well as Cowtail Rays, Shovelnose Rays and huge pods of Manta Rays are among 13 species of stingrays found in Moreton Bay.
When my son, Mark, his partner, Adele, and my grandson, Lars, were here for a holiday in January we walked along the waterfront one morning when the tide was coming in and we saw hundreds of rays. Mark and his family live in The Netherlands and were here in Sandgate for a very long overdue visit, their original bookings having been disrupted by the cancellations and restrictions associated with Covid. For me, it was such a joy that they were finally here and that we could walk together in the early mornings to the Shorncliffe Pier. For Mark, it was a great opportunity to meet Logan, Jules, Dick and some of the other regulars and to talk with them and see for himself why I love these early morning walks so much.
I had told Jules about their forthcoming visit quite a while beforehand and, as a welcoming gesture, she had made a container full of her date and fruit loaf slices as well as rocky road chocolate pieces for Lars. Mark and his family feasted on this bounty for more than a week! Needless to say, I was really touched by her kindness towards me and my family.
Being from Europe, Mark, Adele and Lars were blown away by the contrasting scenery here in South East Queensland, and by the friendliness of the Queensland people. Mark is an industrial designer in Europe and well-known for the very detailed designs of his prize-winning motorbikes. I’m very proud of him and all that he has achieved. Adele works as a nurse in aged care facilities and is continually studying to upgrade her credentials, while Lars is contemplating his future, having just finished his schooling. Sue and I very much enjoyed their company during their time here and I was very grateful for the opportunity to show them some of the many things that Sandgate and Moreton Bay have to offer.
In early January the rays were everywhere, big ones and small ones, and they were clearly visible in the water. Mark, Adele and Lars could not believe what they could see right in front of them and, frankly, neither could I. It was amazing! They took many photos and videos as confirmation because otherwise no one back home in Holland would believe them!
I think that the rays we saw were probably estuary stingrays because these are very common in Moreton Bay. I’m told that if you walk into the sea at low tide you can accidentally step on them because they mainly stay on the bottom and are sometimes hard to see. Hence, they are aptly known as “bottom dwellers”. I have not experienced this myself, but if you do step on them or disturb them, they can suddenly rise up and create a cloud of sand or mud that can startle you.
How lucky are we to have so many species of these incredible and exotic creatures here in the Bay.
O.P.
P.S. Next week’s post will be about Dutch weather and the village of IJmuiden, at the entrance of the canal connecting Amsterdam with the North Sea.
Wat een leuk verhaal weer deze week over de bijzondere roggen, en wat fijn voor jullie dat Mark Adelle en Lars er waren afgelopen winter.
Wij zien er al naar uit je verhaal over IJmuiden en Amsterdam te lezen Piet je weet dat twee van onze kleinkinderen in Amsterdam wonen werken en studeren . Wij waren er dit weekend voor de verjaardag van onze kleindochter Maud die al weer 25 jaar is.
groet Max en Nel