Warmer waters bring surge in stingray injuries to Southern California beaches
El Niño and marine heat waves are drawing more stingrays north from Baja California and keeping them near the coast longer, experts say.
Southern California lifeguards treat thousands of stingray injuries every year, and this year, the numbers are climbing. AccuWeather’s Kai Beech reports.
El Niño is warming the ocean off Southern California, bringing more stingrays to the coast as beachgoers are stung in record numbers.
Experts say the warmer water is drawing more stingrays north from Baja California and allowing them to remain near Southern California beaches longer.
“Because it’s been so hot, it’s probably pushed more people to the beach,” said Dr. Chris Lowe of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach. “In addition, we probably have more stingrays because the water’s warmer.”
Image of Seal Beach, nicknamed "Ray Bay," California, which has attracted stingrays to its warm, shallow waters where people often walk. (Credit: Kai Beech)
At Seal Beach, nicknamed “Ray Bay,” stingrays gather in warm, shallow water where beachgoers commonly walk.
“Southern California lifeguards treat 10,000 people for stingray injuries a year,” Lowe said. “This year’s probably going to be a bumper crop, so we’re expecting even higher numbers.”
Marine heat waves are creating ideal conditions for stingrays, while hot weather is sending more people to the beach and increasing the likelihood of encounters.
One surfer said the encounters have become a familiar hazard: “I’ve been hit quite a few times -- at least eight times in the last five years.”
El Niño is attracting more stingrays to Southern California's ocean as the water warms, causing more beachgoers to get stung in record numbers. (Credit: Kai Beech)
Stingrays generally sting when they are startled or stepped on, using the venomous barb in their tail as a defense mechanism. The resulting pain can feel like an electric shock.
“They get startled, and that’s how they protect themselves,” a lifeguard said.
El Niño could keep Southern California’s coastal waters warmer and stingray numbers elevated in the coming months.
Beachgoers can reduce their risk by sliding their feet across the sand instead of lifting them while walking through shallow water. The movement, known as the “stingray shuffle,” alerts nearby rays and gives them time to swim away.
“This is their home, and we’re guests,” Lowe said. “Nobody likes being stepped on, so do the stingray shuffle.”
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