Stingrays. They’ve never really been up there with the popular kids of the marine world. Although Mr Ray, the all-singing, all-dancing (swimming?) school teacher in Finding Nemo did some great things for the species’ public image.
Throw into the mix their completely bizarre appearance (resembling a piece of flying ravioli with a tail) and the fact they’re genetically related to the mafia of the ocean, sharks, and it’s clear the reputation of stingrays still requires some PR work. And then there’s the name; stingray. Sting. Ray. Not so appealing, hey?
The last thing anyone would expect from this odd creature is a photobomb but that’s exactly what happened to three tourists during their spring break.
A hilarious holiday snap has gone viral this week. It shows a group of women posing in the shallows of Cayman Island… with a smiling stingray peering over their shoulders. The trio’s horrified expressions led many to believe the creature had spontaneously launched itself onto their backs.
Sarah Bourland, one of the women pictured, has revealed the (slightly less exciting) truth behind the photobomb. From Huffington Post:
This photo was taken five years ago in Cayman Island at Stingray Island. We were on a cruise for spring break. The photographer originally asked us to take a photo with the stingray in front of us, which we did, but then afterward as a joke he put it on our backs without us knowing!
Our reactions are genuine, and the photographer snapped the photo at the perfect time! We had no idea that the photo was so brilliant until later when he showed us the proof. We immediately bought it. From left to right are Sarah Bourland, Natalie Zaysoff, Kendall Harlan.
Bourland, who is surprised by the overnight fame the image has brought her, says the trio have been trying for years to submit it to The Ellen Show. “Now that it has gone viral, we are hoping that this is our chance!” she says.
Whatever. We choose to believe it was a real photobomb. Just look at it – the stingray is clearly saying, “Wassssup ladiesss?” And is it just us, or is its little face – well, its mouth and ventral gill slits if we’re being all anatomically correct here – really cute?
This may be the most recent animal photobomb to hit our computer screens, but it certainly isn’t the first. Check out this gallery of some of the funniest instances of our furry friends fighting for their share of the flash.
Top Comments
I PROMISE I do have a sense of fun and humour, but... does anyone else think this is kind of cruel and unnecessary to the stingray? Leave the poor thing in the water where it belongs. On most dive trips they wouldn't allow this to occur.
I saw this photo the other day and thought it was funny, too. I actually live in the Cayman Islands and what I learned since posting it on my Facebook page was that this kind of activity is not only cruel to the animals, but it is now outlawed and policed at the sandbar where this photo was taken. A friend of mine, who is an expert on stingrays, says that it very common for people to hold the rays up out of the water (you can see the guy's head behind the stingray) and because they breathe through gills holding them up in the air is like holding our heads in a bucket of water. It would be nice if we could also see some information addressing the REAL real story behind this photo. Unfortunately this does make for a funny photo, but the reality it that is not good for the animals, and is in fact not permitted.