Hello Emma
Please don't take this the wrong way, but may I take issue with your wording "I would
warn that stingrays are found....".
IMHO there is absolutely no reasons to 'warn'. I would say that those lovely friendly beach dogs and cats are MANY times more dangerous than the rays. If you chase any animal and force your attention on it you are asking for trouble. If you allow that creature to come to you, then surely it is indicative that it is happy to make contact? None of these creatures are aggressive except possibly when threatened.
As you say, rays are found in both Castara bays. I took the shots below (general view and enlargement) from the hillside at the western end of the big bay last March. The rays actually seem to enjoy humans. Although you might not see or be aware of them, they often swim close to people splashing about in the water and seem to like watching them.
I have never heard of a death caused by a stingray other than the Australian idiot. Having seen one or two of his programs, I am inclined to believe he was probably in very close contact and taunting the ray. I have heard the very occasional report of rays sleeping on the sandy bottom, in very shallow water, and swimmers getting a lacerated foot when the ray bolts after they stand on the tail, but I've never actually met anyone who knows of such an incident, so I believe it might be one of those dangers that have happened once or twice around the world and which have passed into folklore.
Talking of contact with sea creatures, may I bore you with a true story that happened to me many years ago in Hawaii.
We were staying at a beachside hotel with huge landlocked salt-water lagoon behind. There were four or five dolphins in the lagoon. They had all been rescued after being hit by speedboats and other vessels. Although fully/largely recovered, they were considered dangerous and there were signs all around the lagoon warning visitors not to swim in the water, feed or attempt to make contact with the dolphins.
Like many people, I feel a huge empathy for dolphins and it was the first time in my life that I had come close to one. I felt a desperate need to make contact, despite the warnings. I sat on a small jetty out into the lake/lagoon and started patting the water. After 5 minutes or so of doing this, one of the dolphins several hundred metres out gave signs of hearing and being interested.
I sat there for ages, patting the water with my hands or feet. The dolphin got closer and closer and within an hour was swimming within 10 metres of where I was sitting. Within two hours, it was swimming below me, allowing me to run my hand over its head and body as it swam past the jetty. A crowd gathered and someone alerted the beach guards. One came over and told me it was dangerous and that people had been badly bitten by them.
The crowds made me feel self-conscious so I left. However, I went back early next morning. Within five minutes of starting the patting the dolphin was back. Within an hour he was sticking his snout up onto the jetty (about a foot above the water level) and allowing me to stroke him. My, what a mouthful of teeth they have. I understand the concern.
We were only there for about four days but by the end of the second day that dolphin would come the moment I patted the water. Other people saw me and tried it. The dolphin would come in relatively close to shore but never approached them. I spent most of my time on the jetty. I sat there dangling my legs into the water and eventually the dolphin would rest its head on my lap, just like a dog. Neither of us like having other people around and the dolphin would swim off the moment they came onto the jetty, although there were always people watching from the shore.
Eventually, some guy came along, brushed past me, sat on the end of the jetty and started patting the water. To my amazement, the dolphin swam up to him, stuck its head out of the water and, as he reached forward to touch it, lunged forward and bit him. It was only a nip but it drew blood. He shot off like a scalded cat. The dolphin just swam in a circle and returned to me. After seeing what had happed, I was a bit nervous, but it just swam straight up to me, stuck it head out of the water and put it on the decking right next to me.
I was frankly too choked to speak. It still brings tears to my eyes remembering that incident. The actions of that wonderful creature speak volumes. Make of the facts what you will – but I know what I believe the dolphin was saying and nobody will convince me otherwise.
So, treat these creatures with respect and I firmly believe that respect will be reciprocated.
I just couldn't igmagine they let the rays die on the beach.