The "Stingray Shuffle"

Some simple facts before venturing into the Gulf of Mexico's warm waters can make your day at the beach a good one.

Florida's Gulf beaches are among the most beautiful in the world. Sunbathing and swimming are part of the beach experience. But good times come with bad. Beach goers must be careful of stingrays. One misstep can result in a painful, serious injury. Stepping on a stingray can ruin your vacation.

Most beaches have signs warning swimmers to do the "stingray shuffle" when wading into the water. If you step on a stingray you will regret it.

Stingrays are bottom feeding, flat fish that live and breed in the warm, shallow waters of the gulf. They are grayish, about the size of a small sauté pan. They lie on the sandy bottom in shallow water. Even in clear water they are hard to see. They eat small fish and crustaceans.

They have a thin, hard, barbed tail, about eight inches long. The barb is sharp with a serrated surface like a bread knife. Toxic venom is contained in a slime that covers the barbs. The sting is extremely painful and grows even more painful as the venom spreads.

Stingrays are normally not aggressive. They attack only when threatened like when a human foot is coming down on them.

The stingray that killed crocodile hunter, Steve Irwin was an eight foot "bullray" native to Australia. Irwin was swimming directly above the ray with his cameraman in front. The ray apparently felt threatened and plunged its barb into Irwin's chest, killing him.

However, sting ray barb deaths are extremely rare. At the beach in Florida, the best way to avoid being stung is to do the "stingray shuffle" as you wade into the water. By shuffling (or sliding) your foot over the sand below, the vibrations signal any rays in the immediate area that you are coming by, and to move away. You must "shuffle" when both entering and leaving the water. Wearing rubber beach shoes is also a good idea.

If you are unlucky enough to get stung, wash out the wound and remove any pieces of the barb that remain. Any bit of the "stinger" will continue to release venom.

You need to get your foot into a bucket of hot soapy water - the hottest you can bear. Heat will keep the venom from spreading. Soap helps clean it out.

You should call 911 and seek medical help immediately to prevent allergic reactions and infections. Florida lifeguards, EMTs and firefighters are familiar with the treatment.

Resources:

. explorenaples.com

. goflorida.com

. abc news GMA