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The Sting Rays Of Hamelin Bay
- Categorised in: Things To Do
They're not really that bad...
A while ago we ran an online survey on South West Life asking you what kind of marine creatures you would most prefer to swim with. Stingrays came in dead last - only about 3% of you opted for that choice. Not surprisingly, dolphins and whales came in towards the top.
Why is this? Why are stingrays shoved so far down everyone's list of preferences? Are they not cute? Are they not friendly? Are they scary? A friend of mine was certainly scared by a rather large ray once. There he was, relaxing on the water on his air mattress, when he noticed the water go very dark underneath him. Before we could alert him to what was going on, he realised for himself that he was not alone in the water. It was the first time we'd seen someone almost levitate and walk on water.
But put your goggles on, and take a look under the water, and maybe you'll change your mind about these misunderstood creatures. What if you could find a place where the stingrays are so friendly and tame that they will casually swim along side you, and on some occasions even feed out of your hand? What if you could do this at a local south west beach, with no cost, no huge crowds, and no appointment needed?
Hamelin Bay, around 20km north of Augusta, is well known for it's stingrays. The number and size of them are amazing. The picture above is one of the smaller ones I saw there recently, but it's not uncommon to see some that are between 1 and 2 meters across. They have a habit of swimming around snorkellers at fairly close range, and certain times of the day they congregate around the boat ramp and feed off the scraps left by fisherman.
The combination of the friendly stingrays, plus the interesting fish and plant life in the bay make it a great snorkelling spot, whatever your swimming level. There are shallow points for those who like to stay close to shore, as well as some great rocks and even shipwrecks for those that want to go out much further. Whatever your preference, the water is usually very clear and calm.
Want to know more about the history of Hamelin Bay? Read our story on The Wrecks Of Hamelin Bay.
Want to know more about snorkelling in the south west? Read our Snorkelling In The South West.
We had the best experience today with the Hamelin Bay Rays.... My kids were snorkelling on the reef there n the rays were swimming alongside them, at first they were freaked out, but after a while they were used to them. Towards the end of our day we had planned to do some fisshing and had bait in our esky, as the kids were getting cold after their swimming and snorkelling we were getting ready to head home, but before we did we decided to feed the rays.... it was the most awesome experience, and to have something that is probably feared by most, i am lookin forward to doing ths again in the future.... i think the Sting Rays are only feared for their babrb, but they will only use them if they are feeling threatened. Give The Rays A Chance. =0)