Because, like so many of the fine and intelligent readers of Born Again Bird Watcher, I too consider myself as much of an overall naturalist as I consider myself a bird watcher, just about any nature-related current event catches and generally holds my attention. When news of such events comes to me through the channels of skilled natural science writers I am most often thoroughly captivated. When it comes to me through the mainstream press, especially the television news broadcasts, I find myself often annoyed due to one or another inaccuracies in the story.
Thus, for all those who have found themselves already aware of the rather curious event in the Florida Keys involving a Spotted Eagle Ray, Aetobatus narinari, that regretably included the loss of the life of a woman visitng there from Michigan, I offer an excellent resource for learning more about the species that is being more often than not incorrectly termed a “sting ray” (a generic term for a number of species in the Family Dasyatidae, a different one than that in which the Spotted Eagle Ray is classified) by most television reporters.
Even more unfortunate than misidentification is the attribution of malice, in the form of headlines and quotes such as “Woman Boating In Keys Dies After Ray Attack,” by some of the representatives of the Fourth Estate. Many people have much of their ideas about nature significantly formed by the mainstream press. It’s not so terribly difficult to get a few basic facts in line before reporting a story. Moreover, the intentional sensationalization of explainable natural phenomena with the use of words such as “attack” in a situation such as this present one is simply irresponsible on both journlistic and ecological levels.
Now if you’ll please excuse me, I have to take another tilt at yonder windmill.
Peace and good bird watching.
