A fisherman was out on his boat one day, expecting to have a leisurely afternoon out on the water. But that afternoon soon took a turn for the bizarre when he ended up helping a stingray give birth.
Thanks to his fast thinking the fisherman was able to help the stingray give birth to two healthy babies!
For our viewers who are a bit more squeamish, be advised that this story does contain some images of live animal birth.
Calvin Conger was about to cast out his live bait when he noticed that there was an extra tail coming out of the stingray.
Baffled by this oddity, Conger turned the stingray over only to discover that she was actually about to give birth. Rather than use the mama-ray as bait, the fishing family decided to help her out with delivering her babies. Thankfully, Calvin decided to capture the stunning moment on camera to share with the world.
Calvin’s father, Terry Conger, saw that the mother stingray was struggling to birth her babies, and gently pressed down on her tummy. Within seconds, the first baby popped right out of the mother stingray’s birth canal.
Hannah Harris, Calvin’s girlfriend, can be heard in the background, jokingly exclaiming, “It’s a boy!”
The first baby only struggled for a moment before Terry Conger tossed him back into the ocean.
Calvin and his family were out fishing in Port Charlotte, off the coast of Florida, when they captured this amazing moment of new life. The mother stingray managed to pop out one more baby before she was fully done giving birth.
Once finished, Terry cut the mother stingray free and tossed her back into the ocean with her second baby. Within seconds, the pair swam away, disappearing into the murky depths. Thankfully, all three stingrays were unharmed and successfully released.
While the Conger family definitely did a charitable act by helping the stingray family, you should always proceed with caution when handling stingrays.
Many varieties of stingrays can leave a pretty nasty injury behind if you aren’t careful with their barbed tails, so be sure to wear protective gear such as gloves. If you get stung by a stingray, try to submerge the affected area in warm or hot water, as that can help ease some pain, and contact a doctor immediately.
If you’re worried about the fact that the stingray and her young were separated, it’s okay.
According to Sciencing, most stingrays are born with the ability to take care of their themselves:
“Juvenile stingrays are born with the ability to feed and defend themselves. After birth, most juvenile stingrays swim away to start their lives away from their parents.”
We’re sure the fisherman will remember this incredible moment forever. After all, how many people can say they’ve helped a stingray give birth?
Check out the incredible video below!
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