Sting Rays in Monmouth County, NJ

Discussion in 'Mid Atlantic' started by shorebreaker, Jul 24, 2012.

  1. shorebreaker

    shorebreaker Well-Known Member

    68
    Aug 29, 2010
    First post here... I was out surfing yesterday in Spring Lake, NJ. As I approached the water from the sand I noticed that the water was unusually reddish-brown in certain areas. I proceeded to enter the water. While in the water there was lots of seaweed and even some red seaweed which I haven't really seen at this spot, as it is my usual spot to surf. As a wave would roll in you would see these dark reddish-brown objects that looked like sting rays but I just kind of figured they were just large clumps of seaweed. Another 5 mins went by and with every wave that rolled through I noticed the same objects over and over. Eventually we saw a fin come out of the water and realized these were sting rays... I just thought it was very weird that there were SOO many of them in the water. We also saw a few larger fish swimming around.. Needless to say we left the water as we didn't truly know what was in the water. Anyone experience or see this yesterday? Is it the warmer water temperatures bringing in this type of wildlife? Also, I heard they spotted a shark in the Manasquan Inlet yesterday as well. Not trying to start any sudden scare or anything, just curious as to what type of sting rays they might have been and if any one else saw the same as I did?
     
  2. DawnPatrol321

    DawnPatrol321 Well-Known Member

    Mar 6, 2012
    Are you sure this is the ocean you are talking about?
     

  3. a2tall

    a2tall Well-Known Member

    301
    Aug 7, 2011
    Me and my Friend went out last night in spring lake around 6:00 to 9:00 pm and we saw a school of dolphin about 5 feet away from us.
     
  4. shorebreaker

    shorebreaker Well-Known Member

    68
    Aug 29, 2010
    DawnPatrolSUP- 100% sure... Others got out of the water as we got out of the water, and we all were in agreement that they were sting rays. Very unusual.
     
  5. DawnPatrol321

    DawnPatrol321 Well-Known Member

    Mar 6, 2012
    Interesting, Stingrays.... actually in the ocean, f'ing kooks
     
  6. surftb15

    surftb15 Well-Known Member

    236
    Feb 25, 2012
    Spring Lake has had this problem before. A few years ago, they were out there for weeks and Spring Lake had to close the beach down. They aren't actually string rays, but some other species. I forget the name now.
     
  7. shorebreaker

    shorebreaker Well-Known Member

    68
    Aug 29, 2010
    DawnPatrolSUP- I guess that's why I never post in this forum cause everyone is smarter than the other... I've been surfing for quite some time and have been going in the ocean for my entire life, so it would be nice to have a little respect not act like a kook yourself... There were a S#$& load of them in the water.. which I've never seen like that in a huge school just hanging around the breaking waves. If anyone has any valuable insight or noticed the same as I did that would be cool instead of useless responses.
     
  8. DawnPatrol321

    DawnPatrol321 Well-Known Member

    Mar 6, 2012
    Easy fella, wasn't disrespecting you, just seems rather comical that you are shocked you saw a pod of stinrays, as if this is some sort of phenomenon.... IT'S THE OCEAN, c'mon man... If you have spent any real amount of time in the water this would seem silly to you as well. Carry on...

    And the kook comment was directed at the stingrays.... who never go to beach except in the summer.
     
  9. shorebreaker

    shorebreaker Well-Known Member

    68
    Aug 29, 2010
    Just spoke to a guy here at work... He thinks they may have been bullnose rays as he said they like to hang out lower in the water and then as waves come by they'll swim up towards the face of the wave... which is exactly what happened yesterday... Just not sure!
     
  10. Mr.Belmar

    Mr.Belmar Well-Known Member

    Aug 19, 2010
    Hey bro- that is interesting. I surf there often too... have never seen schools of them close to the beach before. I would agree that alot is happening different this year with the warmer temps...
    I have caught them planty of times fishing and so on.... so i don't know. its weird.
    Plus I wouldn't worry about the others who think they are so much smarter. If they are, why not share the knowledge? thats what the whole forum is about. If its because 'stingrays' actually have a correct name... why not share??? what ever....
     
  11. shorebreaker

    shorebreaker Well-Known Member

    68
    Aug 29, 2010
    Walkingonh2o - Thanks for being 'professional' about everything! I mean I have surfed Spring Lake in the same spot for probably 4-5 years straight and have never seen them in such huge numbers. Just thought it was weird and wondering why they were so close in, in such huge numbers.. and of course what type of ray it was... guess i'll never really know...
     
  12. Sniffer

    Sniffer Well-Known Member

    Sep 20, 2010
    Dude there just skates. They are harmless. You know the black shells that you see washed up on the beach all the time....skate egg shells
     
  13. 15stwr

    15stwr Well-Known Member

    71
    Oct 5, 2010
    they are bull rays and they have been all over the shallows in ocnj the last couple of weeks. it now unusual for this time of year with the warm water. the inside was teaming with then a week of so ago. seeing them on the wall of a wave in front of you is abit disconserting at first but cool once you get over it. they have never bothered me although i often paddle shallower when rolling through a school of them....
     
  14. rvb

    rvb Well-Known Member

    237
    Mar 2, 2011
    skates or rays most likely. i was snorkeling off 18th ave jetty in belmar last sept, awesome visibilty - like 10 feet of water (strange - the jetty has orange paint all over it underwater) and a huge ray swam under me. bullnose or cownose my buddy who was with me told me. scared the crap out of me for a second. same thing happened in bradley beach like 5 years ago. they are around.
     
  15. Zippy

    Zippy Well-Known Member

    Nov 16, 2007
    Cownose rays
     
  16. MG

    MG Well-Known Member

    46
    Jul 22, 2009
    Saw a ton of them a couple weeks back in MD too....harmless.
     
  17. Anthonyz

    Anthonyz Well-Known Member

    63
    May 15, 2012
    Lol! I thought seeing a school of sting ray is a normal thing.
     
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2012
  18. ND081

    ND081 Well-Known Member

    900
    Aug 7, 2010
    they're cownose rays, a species in the family myliobatidae or "eagle ray". they can be found from new england to southern brazil, unlike the bull ray that people usually confuse them with, which inhabits the coasts between portugal and south africa. we get extremely large numbers of them almost every year in lbi, so it wouldn't be unusual to find them in other parts of new jersey. they're really beautiful fish if you can keep yourself from freaking out. you need to remember the ocean is their home, not ours.
     
  19. ginsumagic

    ginsumagic Well-Known Member

    193
    Oct 27, 2009
    No, they're Kook Fish, it's a special breed I created with my shaper in a secret laboratory under the jetty. Their tails are equipped with mini harpoons with yougotnotalent poison in tips, that are activated by Pop Out surfboards. Once stung it takes effect within 6 hours and BAM!! YOU GOT NOT TALENT. Any skill the you had will be gone, if you didn't have any you never will. Boo Wah Ha Ha Ha!!!!!!
    Boo Wah Ha Ha Ha!!!!!
    Boo Wah Ha Ha Ha!!!!
    Boo Wah Ha Ha Ha!!!!
    Boo Wah Ha Ha Ha!!!!
    Boo Wah Ha Ha Ha!!!!
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