Are Torpedo Rays old news?

[ScubaNorth]

We ran into a Torpedo Ray at OGB this morning. WOW what a critter, just beautiful. Looked big to me but not used to seeing anything that size at OGB so he may have been a baby for all I know. Heard of a few at Folly Cove this past summer but never heard of one at OGB.

 

[MASS-Diver]

No, I don't think they are old news. I've never seen one myself, although I know a few people that were shocked pretty badly by one.

 

[RIOceanographer]

We ran into a Torpedo Ray at OGB this morning. WOW what a critter, just beautiful. Looked big to me but not used to seeing anything that size at OGB so he may have been a baby for all I know. Heard of a few at Folly Cove this past summer but never heard of one at OGB.

Very cool! Who cares if it is old news or not as long as it is new for you! Besides, some things are too cool to get old!

 

[Chebby]

Yeah, that thing scared the hell out of me!

I had my hand in the lobster hole, turn my head...and there it is just looking at me 6 inches from my face. My reaction was as following:

- What the ... ?
- Oh, it's just a sting ray...
- Wait a second, there are no sting rays in New England, this is not the carribean...
- Oh $hit, it's a torpedo ray...better get away fast!

 

[ScubaNorth]

You forgot that you had to do the UW charades to get me to look with the animated pointing at the ray. Of course I just thought "great Chebby they call it sand now let's look for some lobsters". Then I saw this big ole guy just hanging out not too interest in doing anything but keeping an eye on the divers. A great dive even if I only got my usual catch of zero lobsters, someday I'll find a way to cook sand dollars.

 

[LobstaMan]

Hurleyskis and I saw two different torpedo rays on the same dive in August @ Folly. The first one snuck up behind me and I was shocked when I turned around and saw the ray swimming about two feet off the sand! The other one was sitting in the sand some distance away. A cool animal encounter no matter how many times others have seen them.

LobstaMan

 

[RIOceanographer]

The first one snuck up behind me and I was shocked when I turned around and saw the ray swimming about two feet off the sand!

You should be careful using the expression "I was shocked" when discussing torpedo rays... people might get the wrong idea!

 

[scubadobadoo]

I also saw two of them at Folly this summer. One of them was huge. I would say almost as big a round as an adult stingray except much thicker. Very cool creatures.

 

[ScubaNorth]

I also saw two of them at Folly this summer. One of them was huge. I would say almost as big a round as an adult stingray except much thicker. Very cool creatures.

Funny you should say thick; I described this guy/gal to my wife and when I told here he "was this thick" she laughed and said I was the only one to discribe a fish by it's thickness. I guess you have the same experience with Rays that I do, the type we don't have around these cold parts.

 

[Kennedydive]

I had seen my first one this time last year in Nova Scotia. I've heard of them up here but had not expected to see one. Lucky for me I had a video cam in my hand at the time.
Didn't dare venture too close. 6" Chebby. I bet you'll not forget that encounter anytime soon. I kept at least 15 feet away.
Jason