Sun-Kissed Swimmers Surrounded by Cownose Rays at Florida Beach

Beachgoers in St Petersburg, Florida, were treated to a close encounter with a school of cownose rays on June 13.

This drone footage taken by Michael McCarthy shows the rays gliding around swimmers, some of whom are visibly sunburnt.

“I saw this group of cownose rays while kayaking at the beach and launched the drone to get a
better look at them,” he told Storyful. “As they were swimming right up against the shoreline they startled quite a few people at the beach.”

Cownose rays are known to frequent the area and are generally considered harmless to humans. Credit: See Through Canoe via Storyful