Stingray Attacks Drop in Seal Beach, Spike in Huntington

While neighboring beaches report a spate of stingray attacks, Seal Beach, famous for its ‘Ray Bay,’ has enjoyed a relative state of quiet.

There were only six people injured by stingrays over the past weekend, said Seal Beach Marine Safety Department Lt. Chris Pierce. Usually during heat waves, when crowds flock to the beach, there can be dozens of stringray-related injuries. On busy summer days, Seal Beach lifeguards have been known to treat as many as 30 stingray victims in a day, he said.

“Our joke is that our sharks are eating them,” said Pierce, referring to the dozens juvenile great white sharks that have taken up residence in Surfside.

In the meantime, lifeguards and beachgoers in Seal Beach are enjoying the relative lull.

“If people keep shuffling their feet when they enter the water, we’ll continue to see fewer (injuries),” added Pierce.

It seems like Sea Beach’s rays have headed south.

A rash of stingray stings over the weekend in Huntington Beach left more than 30 beachgoers feeling the pain, it was reported today.

Lifeguards treated 15 people for stings on Saturday and 18 more on Sunday, Huntington Beach Marine Safety Lt. Michael Beuerlein told Times Community News, the Los Angeles Times reported this morning.

Stingray injuries are not uncommon in Huntington Beach, which logs 400 to 500 a year, Beuerlein said. Typically, however, “we probably average one to two a day,” he said, adding that a combination of small surf and warm water, like Huntington Beach saw over the weekend, usually brings a bump in stings.

City News Service and Patch Staffer contributed to this report. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.