Family Helps Pregnant Stingray Give Birth On The Beach

A stingray that got pulled from a line and stranded on the beach has just given birth to baby stingrays – all thanks to a family of beachgoers who were at the scene.

Apparently, the stingray got its jaw stuck in a hook and it is believed that it got caught on a fishing line. While lying on its back on the shore, a group of people saw little barbs emerging from its cloaca and that’s when they realize that the sea creature is actually pregnant.

The stingray is reportedly caught on the line by accident.

The family then insisted that the stingray should be put back into the water…

Especially when they realize that it's giving birth.

As people were being cautious about picking up the animal and putting it back into the water, one of them pushed the stingray’s belly and a baby smoothly popped out.

Everyone in the video was screaming with excitement. One woman can be heard saying to push the ray’s belly again.

Watch the video below.

It’s a good thing that eventually, the family thought of removing the hook from the stingray’s jaw. More importantly, it’s a great thing that the mama stingray survived to be able to look after her babies.

Stingrays are ovoviviparous, which means that they give birth to eggs that develop inside the female's body.

The embryos don’t have a placenta. Instead, they rely on the yolk sac and the mother’s uterine wall for nourishment. Once these eggs hatch inside, they are released from the cloaca (or the orifice of an animal that serves digestive, reproductive and urinary purposes) as live young.

In the video, one woman can be heard saying that the adult stingray should be put back into the water so it can be with its newborn pups. The woman was concerned about how the little stingrays will be able to feed if the mother is not around. But as newborns, stingrays are already capable of finding their own food since they are naturally excellent swimmers. Still, they need protection and that’s what their mothers are for.