How to Swim With Bat Rays

Bat rays, like other rays of their genus, are generally harmless to humans. They are found on the Pacific Coast and feed on crustaceans and mollusks. Like most rays, they are indifferent to humans, but they also have poisonous spines for tails. Their docile nature makes them ideal for large aquarium exhibits, but these rays are "manicured," and their poisonous spines are clipped with wire cutters. Wild bat rays have no such grooming, so exercise caution and distance when swimming with them in the ocean.

Instructions

    • 1

      Pet and swim with bat rays in aquarium exhibits that permit human contact. The Aquarium of the Pacific, for instance, has a "touch pool" where children and adults can pet live bat rays. These bat rays have had their poisonous spines clipped, so that intimate contact is safe. Never pet a wild bat ray.

    • 2

      Swim at a distance from wild bat rays. As the Florida Museum of Natural History states, most bay rays are "non-aggressive" and "pose little threat to humans. However, care should be taken when handling these fish, due to the venomous spine located at the base of the tail."

    • 3

      Observe but do not approach wild bat rays when they camouflage themselves. Bat rays settle to the bottom of sandy sea floors, flapping their fins to kick up sand, allowing them to settle over and hide their bodies. Bat rays often employ this trick near shore, so if you're swimming back to shore, find your feet and perform the "Bat Ray Shuffle" to let rays know you're near. Simply drag your feet along the sandy bottom to alert bat rays of your presence. If you step on one by accident, it may sting you in self-defense.

    • 4

      Scuba dive along the sea bottom to watch bat rays dig oysters and other invertebrates out of the sea floor. Divers and snorkelers alike may also catch a rare glimpse of bat ray acrobatics above water. Bat rays are known to jump out of the water and skim the ocean's surface for long periods of time.