Stingray spotting on Take a Break

Stingray spotting on Take a Break

Queenscliff Marina is home to giant stingrays, and it is a weekly tradition on the Take a Break program at Cottage by the Sea to see if we can spot some gliding through the crystal blue waters of the harbour.

As we walked along the harbour – peering into the water looking for any slight movement – the children laid flat on their bellies at the water’s edge, watching and waiting for one to glide past.

We always know when a participant spots one as you can hear the yells and screams of pure awe and excitement. The children are mostly in shock when they see how big the stingrays actually are.

This species of stingray is called a “smooth ray” and it is the biggest species of stingray in Australia – growing up to 4.3 metres long and 2 metres wide, weighing more than 300 kilograms. This is why the children are so surprised when they spot one in the harbour.

Some locals share stories of these stingrays being around for more than 50 years and know each stingray by name – pointing out the different scars on the top side of the rays, along with their size and tail size. It is pretty cool! The favourite stingray among the children is always “Stumpy”. He is the biggest and has a short stump-like tail.

One of the local fishermen feeds the stingrays regularly from his seafood-selling boat. It is always an awesome sight to see the rays come to the surface of the water, looking for a feed.