STINGRAY FEEDING SUMMARY
REPORT WEEKS #5 – #8.
MAY 4th– MAY 31st 2020
Following on from the previous Stingray Feeding Summary Reports #1 April 4-8, #2 April 9- 19 , #3 and #4 20th April – May 3rd, the DoE continues to assume responsibility for the ongoing and regular supplemental feeding and human interaction at Sand Bar Stingray City. As previously stated the DoE has committed to continue to reinforce the rays association between boats/humans and food with a regular feeding schedule until marine curfew restrictions are relaxed and the private sector can resume visiting the site.
The following brief report incorporates the details of feeding efforts and ray presence at the Sand Bar Stingray City between 4th May and 3sr May 2020.
DAILY FEEDING AND MONITORING REPORT:
- Between Saturday 4th April 2020 and Sunday 31st May 2020 – between 10 – 1 PM each day, the DoE fed approximately 5 – 20 lbs of appropriate food to rays present at the Sand Bar.
- A standardized protocol was adopted and remains the same from the previous report:
- The DoE vessel approached from the south and circled the Sand Bar and then proceeded to the reef crest traveling west for 400 meters and then returned to the Sand Bar to anchor in the centre with the engine running in neutral.
- The number of rays present was immediately recorded.
- Prepared food was distributed for 10 minutes and then the number of rays present was recorded.
- Food was distributed for an additional 20 minutes and rays were counted again and an in-water feeding activity was then conducted for approximately 10 minutes of constant stingray/human contact.
- A final stingray count was conducted prior to departure.
- An updated summary of recorded ray presence is provided:
| WEEK 5 May 4 – May 10 Max: 30 Min: 19 Week food: 74 Lbs / Cum: 430 lbs Week Time/Total Time (HH:MM): 7:30/35:44 |
Mon 4th May | Tues 5th May | Wed 6th May | Thu 7th May | Fri 8th May | Sat 9th May | Sun 10th May |
| Rays present on Sand Bar at arrival | 8 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 10 | 14 | 14 |
| Rays present after 10 minutes of feeding | 20 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 18 |
| Rays present after 30 minutes of feeding | 23 | 28 | 29 | 24 | 23 | 19 | 22 |
| Maximum rays observed on visit | 23 | 30 | 27 | 24 | 23 | 19 | 24 |
| WEEK 6 May 11 – May 17 Max: 22 Min: 20 Week food: 82 Lbs / Cum: 512 lbs Week Time/Total Time (HH:MM): 6:07/41:51 |
Mon 11th May | Tues 12th May | Wed 13th May | Thu 14th May | Fri 15th May | Sat 16th May | Sun 17th May |
| Rays present on Sand Bar at arrival | 9 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 20 |
| Rays present after 10 minutes of feeding | 18 | 18 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 |
| Rays present after 30 minutes of feeding | 21 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 15 | 17 | 19 |
| Maximum rays observed on visit | 21 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 |
| WEEK 7 May 18 – May 24 Max: 29 Min: 20 Week food: 95 Lbs / Cum: 607 lbs Week Time/Total Time (HH:MM): 3:50/45:41 |
Mon 18th May | Tues 19th May | Wed 20th May | Thu 21st May | Fri 22nd May | Sat 23rd May | Sun 24th May |
| Rays present on Sand Bar at arrival | 13 | 26 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 |
| Rays present after 10 minutes of feeding | 23 | 27 | NR | 21 | 28 | 20 | 20 |
| Rays present after 30 minutes of feeding | 0 | 28 | 29 | 21 | 28 | NR | 20 |
| Maximum rays observed on visit | 23 | 28 | 29 | 21 | 28 | NR | 20 |
| WEEK 8 May 25 – May 31 Max: 28 Min: 16 Week food: 72 Lbs / Cum: 679lbs Week Time/Total Time (HH:MM): 5:20/51:01 |
Mon 25th May | Tues 26th May | Wed 27th May | Thu 28th May | Fri 29th May | Sat 30th May | Sun 31st May |
| Rays present on Sand Bar at arrival | 20 | 10 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 20 |
| Rays present after 10 minutes of feeding | 23 | 22 | 16 | 23 | 24 | 28 | 26 |
| Rays present after 30 minutes of feeding | 23 | 25 | 10 | 23 | 21 | 28 | 26 |
| Maximum rays observed on visit | 23 | 25 | 16 | 23 | 24 | 28 | 26 |
OBSERVATIONS:
- To date the DOE has visited the Stingray City Sand Bar to feed the rays every day since the April 4th feeding and interaction programme began – no days have been missed despite inclement weather.
- We have conducted 51 visits in 51 days.
- We have accumulated over 51 hours at the Stingray City Sand Bar site, not including travel and preparation time.
- We have fed the rays an accumulated 769 lbs of natural food to date.
- Rays continue to remain habituated to feeding and human interaction and appear consistently upon arrival.
- The same rays are not present each day indicating the likely rays remaining in the area and associated with the Stingray City Sand Bar attraction is greater than the daily maximum counts suggest. Based on the sightings of easily identifiable rays (Frisbee, Big and Little Notch) initial indications suggest that there are an additional 10 – 20 rays that do not appear on each occasion.
- Injuries in rays are still observed, despite reduced boat traffic.