700-Pound Stingray Tries to Taste Photographer’s Camera

Marine biologist and freediver Sheree Marris had an up-close encounter with a colossal stingray in the waters off Australia’s Mornington Peninsula on February 10.

Marris told Storyful she was swimming in the shallows off Rye Pier when she was approached by a “350kg [772-pound] heavyweight, a giant smooth stingray.” Marris said the fish was initially curious, then disinterested, and then tried to “taste the underwater camera in [my] hands, quickly deciding it wasn’t to her liking,” before swimming away.

“Despite their fearsome reputation, these rays are just like curious puppies,” Marris said. “But they should still be respected and any encounter is always a magical one.” Credit: @shereemarris via Storyful

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