Monday, September 26, 2016

The Artful Stingray

Here I am smiling before I went into the Pacific Ocean in Solana Beach, CA. There I got stung by the fish you do not want to encounter.Then I didn't smile so much.
It was  the  stingray, which is a cartilaginous fish that uses sensors to get signals from its prey. Then it strikes! I was in his turf, therefore its perceived enemy. Related to the shark, it hides in the sand, below the surf.150 million years on this earth, this creature has a good " art of survival". It is almost impossible to see, until the barb enters your body, in my case, the foot. 
Clever bit of artful camouflage, this ancient creature. It has some more hidden attributes for survival. The barb is covered in spines, and venom secreting cells that release upon contact.We have heard about the famous adventurer that died  when his heart was pierced. 
The problem is to get all the venom out. The pain is excructiating . When I went to the lifeguard station they had me put my foot is very hot water for two hours. Felt better for a while.Still after a week, it is in pain again, and I am trying natural methods to pull out the toxins along with  20th century antibiotics.
 So I guess this is one piece of art I hope to never see again, and that all of you catch them at the aquarium only!

2 comments:

  1. The artful sting ray - thought they were primarily on the Florida Coast. My sympathy - no doubt you will rid yourself of that awful venom. Recuperating does take longer as we "age". But just think if we sat home on the couch we wouldn't experience all the good and bad!

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  2. The artful sting ray - thought they were primarily on the Florida Coast. My sympathy - no doubt you will rid yourself of that awful venom. Recuperating does take longer as we "age". But just think if we sat home on the couch we wouldn't experience all the good and bad!

    ReplyDelete