1 00:00:01,633 --> 00:00:03,933 >> NARRATOR: In the shallow, turquoise, clear waters 2 00:00:03,966 --> 00:00:05,900 of Grand Cayman's North Sound, 3 00:00:05,933 --> 00:00:08,466 dozens of wild southern stingrays 4 00:00:08,500 --> 00:00:12,133 glide effortlessly through the sea. 5 00:00:12,166 --> 00:00:14,433 >> These southern rays are very, very important 6 00:00:14,466 --> 00:00:18,933 to the Cayman Islands from an ecotourism perspective. 7 00:00:18,966 --> 00:00:21,733 >> NARRATOR: Tourists from all over the world come to the site 8 00:00:21,766 --> 00:00:23,666 to interact with the animals. 9 00:00:23,700 --> 00:00:25,633 >> You don't get that kind of experience 10 00:00:25,666 --> 00:00:27,166 anywhere else in the world. 11 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,400 >> It's the number one water sports attraction on the island. 12 00:00:30,433 --> 00:00:33,266 >> It's a hundred foot vis, 13 00:00:33,300 --> 00:00:37,466 it's generally calm and the animals are very conditioned. 14 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,833 >> NARRATOR: Thousands of people each year visit the iconic 15 00:00:43,866 --> 00:00:45,566 stingrays of Grand Cayman, 16 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:47,033 and for more than a decade 17 00:00:47,066 --> 00:00:50,966 researchers have been studying the animals. 18 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,400 Among other things, they want to find out what impact 19 00:00:54,433 --> 00:00:57,400 human interaction might have on the fish. 20 00:00:57,433 --> 00:01:02,433 >> From boat fuel, sunscreen, people eliminating in the water, 21 00:01:02,466 --> 00:01:05,000 all of the different types of things that they're exposed to 22 00:01:05,033 --> 00:01:07,700 at the sandbar in really high concentrations 23 00:01:07,733 --> 00:01:10,933 could certainly be very detrimental to them long term. 24 00:01:10,966 --> 00:01:13,333 Because the numbers of people that are visiting the sandbar 25 00:01:13,366 --> 00:01:15,633 just grow and grow every year. 26 00:01:15,666 --> 00:01:17,400 >> The animals have a wretched time 27 00:01:17,433 --> 00:01:19,166 when there's too many people there. 28 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:21,900 They become very flighty, they keep moving all the time, 29 00:01:21,933 --> 00:01:25,200 they stay on the perimeter of the sandbar and don't interact. 30 00:01:25,233 --> 00:01:29,200 So it's a double edged sword-- how much is too much? 31 00:01:29,233 --> 00:01:31,633 >> This is our national treasure. 32 00:01:31,666 --> 00:01:33,466 Why not enjoy it, you know? 33 00:01:33,500 --> 00:01:35,466 But don't abuse it. 34 00:01:35,500 --> 00:01:37,966 >> Our concern is, first and foremost, 35 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:39,500 the welfare of the rays. 36 00:01:39,533 --> 00:01:43,133 Secondarily, obviously very importantly, the experience 37 00:01:43,166 --> 00:01:44,800 of the visitors to our islands. 38 00:01:44,833 --> 00:01:47,133 And we probably have a million people a year 39 00:01:47,166 --> 00:01:49,933 who visit the stingray. 40 00:01:49,966 --> 00:01:52,100 So, it is clearly something that is extremely important to us, 41 00:01:52,133 --> 00:01:55,033 but it's equally important that we get the balance right. 42 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:05,500 ♪ ♪ 43 00:02:20,766 --> 00:02:22,466 >> Major funding for this program 44 00:02:22,500 --> 00:02:25,366 was provided by the Batchelor Foundation, 45 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,533 encouraging people to preserve and protect 46 00:02:28,566 --> 00:02:31,333 America's underwater resources. 47 00:02:33,766 --> 00:02:36,700 And by Divers Direct Emocean Club, 48 00:02:36,733 --> 00:02:39,133 inspiring the pursuit of tropical adventures 49 00:02:39,166 --> 00:02:41,366 and scuba diving. 50 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:44,133 And by the Do Unto Others Trust. 51 00:02:47,933 --> 00:02:50,566 ♪ ♪ 52 00:02:56,666 --> 00:02:58,033 >> NARRATOR: The Cayman Islands 53 00:02:58,066 --> 00:03:01,933 are a popular travel destination in the western Caribbean. 54 00:03:09,566 --> 00:03:12,766 Grand Cayman, the largest of the country's three islands, 55 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,100 is famous the world over as a major banking center, 56 00:03:16,133 --> 00:03:20,300 and for its beautiful beaches and marine environment. 57 00:03:20,333 --> 00:03:23,933 And for the last 30 years or so, 58 00:03:23,966 --> 00:03:27,866 the island has also become known for its tame stingrays 59 00:03:27,900 --> 00:03:32,266 that congregate in the shallow waters of the North Sound. 60 00:03:32,300 --> 00:03:33,766 >> Fishermen would come inside to the area 61 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:36,100 because it was shallow, they could clean their catch. 62 00:03:36,133 --> 00:03:38,966 The stingray started to catch on and would aggregate there 63 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,500 to feed on the discarded fish parts that were thrown 64 00:03:42,533 --> 00:03:44,733 over the side, and then people decided 65 00:03:44,766 --> 00:03:46,700 that the rays were friendly and close enough 66 00:03:46,733 --> 00:03:48,966 that they could feed them, and it took off as a phenomenon. 67 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:52,633 >> NARRATOR: Normally, wild stingrays are solitary animals 68 00:03:52,666 --> 00:03:54,733 that are very skittish of people 69 00:03:54,766 --> 00:03:56,966 and can rarely be approached closely. 70 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:01,733 During the daytime they are often found buried in the sand 71 00:04:01,766 --> 00:04:03,800 hiding from predators such as sharks. 72 00:04:06,666 --> 00:04:10,066 But at the Stingray Sand Bar, also sometimes referred to 73 00:04:10,100 --> 00:04:13,766 as Stingray City after a nearby site where scuba divers 74 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:17,700 can interact with the animals, the fish actively engage 75 00:04:17,733 --> 00:04:20,900 with visitors, making the area one of the most popular 76 00:04:20,933 --> 00:04:23,966 tourist attractions on Grand Cayman. 77 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:25,566 >> This is one of our main business right here 78 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:27,500 on this island, especially for tourism. 79 00:04:27,533 --> 00:04:29,900 A lot of the locals, the local guys does it 80 00:04:29,933 --> 00:04:32,100 and when it's busy, the companies make money. 81 00:04:32,133 --> 00:04:33,866 Long as my customers are happy, I'm happy. 82 00:04:40,566 --> 00:04:45,500 ♪ ♪ 83 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,766 >> NARRATOR: Renowned marine life artist and scientist 84 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:56,033 Guy Harvey moved to Grand Cayman in 1999. 85 00:04:56,066 --> 00:04:59,800 >> I was interested in the turnover of animals, 86 00:04:59,833 --> 00:05:02,766 the site fidelity, the sex ratio, 87 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:04,500 what they do at nighttime, 88 00:05:04,533 --> 00:05:06,600 all these questions no one could answer. 89 00:05:06,633 --> 00:05:11,566 Nobody had any clue how many animals were there. 90 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:14,066 >> It's really important to do this kind of research 91 00:05:14,100 --> 00:05:15,600 on the sand bar because human interaction 92 00:05:15,633 --> 00:05:18,700 has changed the dynamics of the stingray so drastically. 93 00:05:22,066 --> 00:05:24,633 ♪ ♪ 94 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:34,366 >> NARRATOR: In 2002, 95 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:37,666 Guy began a research project in collaboration 96 00:05:37,700 --> 00:05:40,700 with the Cayman Islands Department of Environment 97 00:05:40,733 --> 00:05:44,533 to learn more about the iconic rays. 98 00:05:44,566 --> 00:05:47,833 >> We started a two-year population study 99 00:05:47,866 --> 00:05:51,433 using two research students, along with a supervisor 100 00:05:51,466 --> 00:05:53,866 from the Guy Harvey Research Institute 101 00:05:53,900 --> 00:05:55,800 based at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, 102 00:05:55,833 --> 00:05:59,833 and during that time they tagged 180 animals from the sandbar 103 00:05:59,866 --> 00:06:03,566 and 20 others from around the island as control animals. 104 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:05,566 So that was our benchmark. 105 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:07,900 And the important thing was to get every animal tagged 106 00:06:07,933 --> 00:06:10,066 with a non-invasive pit tag. 107 00:06:10,100 --> 00:06:14,166 >> NARRATOR: These pit tags are similar to a pet's micro-chip 108 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:17,400 and they allow the experts to identify individual animals 109 00:06:17,433 --> 00:06:19,766 when they are re-captured. 110 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:22,833 >> 18261. 111 00:06:22,866 --> 00:06:26,366 >> We found that we had 100 percent retention of these tags. 112 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:29,833 Many of the large animals that are there at the sandbar today 113 00:06:29,866 --> 00:06:31,600 were tagged back in 2002, 114 00:06:31,633 --> 00:06:34,200 so that gives us a fantastic chronology 115 00:06:34,233 --> 00:06:36,766 of their life history. 116 00:06:38,900 --> 00:06:41,066 >> NARRATOR: During the first two years of the study, 117 00:06:41,100 --> 00:06:43,633 researchers monitored the animals monthly 118 00:06:43,666 --> 00:06:46,300 to gather detailed information. 119 00:06:46,333 --> 00:06:48,433 >> We also did some sonic tracking at nighttime 120 00:06:48,466 --> 00:06:50,833 to determine where they went because we realized 121 00:06:50,866 --> 00:06:52,933 that their behavior had changed completely. 122 00:06:52,966 --> 00:06:55,266 They are typically nocturnal predators and will lay low 123 00:06:55,300 --> 00:06:57,866 in the daytime, but now they are feeding in the daytime 124 00:06:57,900 --> 00:07:00,933 and laying low at night, especially the large females. 125 00:07:00,966 --> 00:07:02,400 And they would go and sit 126 00:07:02,433 --> 00:07:04,200 within a quarter of a mile of the sandbar. 127 00:07:04,233 --> 00:07:06,100 The males, we found on the other hand, 128 00:07:06,133 --> 00:07:08,533 because they were out-competed because they are smaller, 129 00:07:08,566 --> 00:07:09,900 would forage at night 130 00:07:09,933 --> 00:07:11,800 and actually cover two or three miles in a night 131 00:07:11,833 --> 00:07:13,700 before coming back to the sandbar. 132 00:07:13,733 --> 00:07:16,966 We found that the two sexes had completely different behavior. 133 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:19,533 >> NARRATOR: In southern stingrays, 134 00:07:19,566 --> 00:07:21,400 as in many other fishes, 135 00:07:21,433 --> 00:07:25,733 the females are larger than the males. 136 00:07:25,766 --> 00:07:27,733 >> Having larger females gives you a reproductive advantage 137 00:07:27,766 --> 00:07:31,066 over everybody else because the bigger you are 138 00:07:31,100 --> 00:07:34,066 the more pups you can have. 139 00:07:37,733 --> 00:07:39,866 >> NARRATOR: Guy and his research team continue 140 00:07:39,900 --> 00:07:43,066 the summer counts of the animals over the years. 141 00:07:43,100 --> 00:07:45,033 >> The research is critical, there's obviously an ongoing 142 00:07:45,066 --> 00:07:48,566 need to monitor these populations. 143 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:50,400 >> NARRATOR: When there was a sudden decline in the number 144 00:07:50,433 --> 00:07:52,666 of stingrays at the site, 145 00:07:52,700 --> 00:07:56,000 the researchers and tour operators became concerned. 146 00:07:56,033 --> 00:08:00,066 >> We first realized the decline in population late in 2010 147 00:08:00,100 --> 00:08:02,100 through casual observation alone. 148 00:08:02,133 --> 00:08:05,000 And by 2011 we got concerned; 149 00:08:05,033 --> 00:08:10,533 and 2012 we took our first January census 150 00:08:10,566 --> 00:08:14,000 in response to everybody's request. 151 00:08:14,033 --> 00:08:19,600 >> And found that compared to our 2002, 2003 and 2008 numbers, 152 00:08:19,633 --> 00:08:25,200 they had dropped significantly, from over 100 to 61 153 00:08:25,233 --> 00:08:29,966 in January 2012 and 57 in July 2012. 154 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:32,000 Very drastic decrease, 155 00:08:32,033 --> 00:08:34,733 but we had no idea why that would be the case. 156 00:08:34,766 --> 00:08:39,300 Could it be sharks that were taking them more often now? 157 00:08:39,333 --> 00:08:41,266 Was it something to do with their health? 158 00:08:41,300 --> 00:08:43,833 Has the diet we were giving them taken a toll finally? 159 00:08:43,866 --> 00:08:46,700 Any kind of stress or disease? 160 00:08:50,566 --> 00:08:52,466 >> NARRATOR: To find answers to these questions, 161 00:08:52,500 --> 00:08:55,800 experts from the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta 162 00:08:55,833 --> 00:08:59,800 joined the research team from the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation 163 00:08:59,833 --> 00:09:03,133 and the Department of Environment in 2012. 164 00:09:03,166 --> 00:09:06,366 They are conducting health assessments on the stingrays 165 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:10,666 to understand what may have led to the decline in numbers 166 00:09:10,700 --> 00:09:12,666 and what impact the human interaction 167 00:09:12,700 --> 00:09:14,866 is having on the animals. 168 00:09:18,466 --> 00:09:21,766 ♪ ♪ 169 00:09:26,566 --> 00:09:28,633 >> Well, I'm the stingray catcher. 170 00:09:28,666 --> 00:09:31,400 So, my job is to continually bring rays 171 00:09:31,433 --> 00:09:35,300 so that we keep the production line going as quickly 172 00:09:35,333 --> 00:09:36,833 and efficiently as possible, 173 00:09:36,866 --> 00:09:39,900 and that took many years of practice. 174 00:09:39,933 --> 00:09:43,766 I've had various help from tour boat operators to friends 175 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:47,233 who were very skilled in the art of catching a ray. 176 00:09:47,266 --> 00:09:50,833 Young ones are sometimes extremely difficult to catch 177 00:09:50,866 --> 00:09:52,433 because they are flighty, 178 00:09:52,466 --> 00:09:54,200 they escape easily from your hand, 179 00:09:54,233 --> 00:09:56,900 and you don't want to end up putting 180 00:09:56,933 --> 00:09:58,000 too much pressure on them. 181 00:10:05,033 --> 00:10:08,500 The larger ones are easier to catch, but harder to hold, 182 00:10:08,533 --> 00:10:12,500 because they're basically like a massive pizza, 183 00:10:12,533 --> 00:10:15,000 and they're very powerful animals so one flap 184 00:10:15,033 --> 00:10:17,533 and they could be out of your hands. 185 00:10:26,666 --> 00:10:29,200 >> NARRATOR: Once securely on board the boat, 186 00:10:29,233 --> 00:10:31,800 the venomous barb on the stingray's tail is covered 187 00:10:31,833 --> 00:10:33,733 as a safety precaution. 188 00:10:33,766 --> 00:10:36,000 >> The barb, of course, is a very important 189 00:10:36,033 --> 00:10:37,866 defensive mechanism for these animals 190 00:10:37,900 --> 00:10:39,333 and you have to respect that. 191 00:10:39,366 --> 00:10:41,633 >> Next, the animals are scanned 192 00:10:41,666 --> 00:10:44,400 to see if they have been tagged in the past. 193 00:10:44,433 --> 00:10:47,000 >> 553. 194 00:10:47,033 --> 00:10:48,566 >> NARRATOR: After the animal is identified, 195 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:52,533 basic measurements are taken to look at their growth. 196 00:10:52,566 --> 00:10:55,833 Then a vet takes blood samples from the vein that runs 197 00:10:55,866 --> 00:10:58,133 along the bottom of the tail. 198 00:10:58,166 --> 00:11:01,800 >> We look at many things such as complete blood counts, 199 00:11:01,833 --> 00:11:03,233 looking at the red cells, 200 00:11:03,266 --> 00:11:05,333 looking at the white blood cell counts. 201 00:11:05,366 --> 00:11:06,933 We look at their proteins, 202 00:11:06,966 --> 00:11:09,400 then we'll look at a general chemistry. 203 00:11:09,433 --> 00:11:11,433 We look at their stress hormones, 204 00:11:11,466 --> 00:11:14,666 and then we're also looking at vitamins, minerals, 205 00:11:14,700 --> 00:11:17,866 other nutrients, fatty acids. 206 00:11:17,900 --> 00:11:20,766 So it's very similar to whether we took our dog or our cat 207 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:23,166 to the doctor's office, had a blood sample taken, 208 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:25,200 and doing a complete health panel. 209 00:11:25,233 --> 00:11:28,133 The animals that are on the sandbar 210 00:11:28,166 --> 00:11:30,600 definitely appear relatively healthy. 211 00:11:30,633 --> 00:11:33,266 When we look at their blood parameters and compare that 212 00:11:33,300 --> 00:11:36,533 to the very little bit of data that is out there 213 00:11:36,566 --> 00:11:38,200 on free-ranging southern rays 214 00:11:38,233 --> 00:11:39,700 from along the Atlantic coast, 215 00:11:39,733 --> 00:11:43,066 and then we look at that in comparison to aquarium animals, 216 00:11:43,100 --> 00:11:46,300 they are very comparable with most things. 217 00:11:46,333 --> 00:11:50,533 In general, we feel like those animals are doing fairly well. 218 00:11:50,566 --> 00:11:53,600 >> NARRATOR: Experts also take a small tissue sample 219 00:11:53,633 --> 00:11:55,766 from one of the fins. 220 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:58,000 >> We take it from the same place every time 221 00:11:58,033 --> 00:12:01,533 and that helps us identify that particular animal 222 00:12:01,566 --> 00:12:04,033 in terms of whether she has actually been looked at 223 00:12:04,066 --> 00:12:06,433 on this particular assessment. 224 00:12:06,466 --> 00:12:09,433 >> NARRATOR: The tissue will eventually grow back. 225 00:12:09,466 --> 00:12:13,166 Both tissue and blood samples are also used to study 226 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:16,333 the nutritional health of the stingrays. 227 00:12:16,366 --> 00:12:18,333 >> In the wild these animals would be solitary, 228 00:12:18,366 --> 00:12:19,866 and they are bottom feeders. 229 00:12:19,900 --> 00:12:24,533 They'd be eating things like clams, bivalves, crustaceans. 230 00:12:24,566 --> 00:12:26,833 They may come across dead carcasses. 231 00:12:26,866 --> 00:12:29,400 So they would have a varied diet in the wild. 232 00:12:29,433 --> 00:12:32,266 Here at the site, they're actually being hand fed 233 00:12:32,300 --> 00:12:36,366 a non-native food item, squid. 234 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:38,300 And squid is fairly nutritionally poor 235 00:12:38,333 --> 00:12:39,600 to begin with. 236 00:12:39,633 --> 00:12:41,866 So, that could be related to why we're seeing 237 00:12:41,900 --> 00:12:45,733 some of the population level changes here at the sandbar. 238 00:12:45,766 --> 00:12:49,433 Also, a free ranging stingray can travel 239 00:12:49,466 --> 00:12:52,400 miles and miles a day to actually find food. 240 00:12:52,433 --> 00:12:55,266 These animals are relatively stationary because they know 241 00:12:55,300 --> 00:12:59,566 they will get access to food relatively easily day after day. 242 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:02,566 We're looking at vitamins and trace minerals in their blood, 243 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:04,500 and that's sort of a gross indicator 244 00:13:04,533 --> 00:13:06,766 of their nutritional status. 245 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:09,200 And then we're looking at more fine-scale markers. 246 00:13:09,233 --> 00:13:11,466 We're looking at fatty acids, and we're also looking 247 00:13:11,500 --> 00:13:13,166 at stable isotopes. 248 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:16,866 Both of those markers are based on the fact 249 00:13:16,900 --> 00:13:18,300 that you are what you eat. 250 00:13:18,333 --> 00:13:21,600 We can actually look at those markers to track over time 251 00:13:21,633 --> 00:13:23,800 what these animals have been eating. 252 00:13:23,833 --> 00:13:25,200 Some of the preliminary data that we're seeing 253 00:13:25,233 --> 00:13:28,000 is that the fatty acid profile of these animals 254 00:13:28,033 --> 00:13:31,400 is very similar to squid, which makes sense 255 00:13:31,433 --> 00:13:33,933 because that is what they are primarily being fed, 256 00:13:33,966 --> 00:13:36,900 and that's telling us that their dietary history 257 00:13:36,933 --> 00:13:40,866 is not ideal for them and could, potentially down the road, 258 00:13:40,900 --> 00:13:42,900 present some problems for these animals. 259 00:13:42,933 --> 00:13:45,666 All the animals here are getting enough food, 260 00:13:45,700 --> 00:13:47,800 but are they getting the right kinds of food? 261 00:13:47,833 --> 00:13:51,200 So if we liken it from a human perspective, we could ask, 262 00:13:51,233 --> 00:13:52,733 "Are these guys couch potatoes? 263 00:13:52,766 --> 00:13:54,866 Are they eating too many potato chips?" 264 00:13:54,900 --> 00:13:58,333 >> NARRATOR: Evidence shows the stingrays at the sandbar 265 00:13:58,366 --> 00:14:02,366 do forage for food in addition to being fed by people, 266 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:06,400 but just how much might differ between the sexes. 267 00:14:06,433 --> 00:14:08,533 To get a more fine-scaled picture 268 00:14:08,566 --> 00:14:10,566 of these dietary differences, 269 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:13,666 Lisa examined ten males and ten females 270 00:14:13,700 --> 00:14:17,066 on a quarterly basis in 2014. 271 00:14:17,100 --> 00:14:19,466 >> The females are a little bit pushier animals, 272 00:14:19,500 --> 00:14:21,266 so the males tend to be on the fringes. 273 00:14:21,300 --> 00:14:23,133 Based on some of the tracking data that has been done 274 00:14:23,166 --> 00:14:26,566 by our colleagues, we know the females tend to stay put. 275 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:28,633 The males tend to range a little bit more. 276 00:14:28,666 --> 00:14:30,600 So, I suspect the reason they're ranging 277 00:14:30,633 --> 00:14:32,666 is because they might be feeding on other things, 278 00:14:32,700 --> 00:14:35,600 because they cannot get access due to the competition 279 00:14:35,633 --> 00:14:37,433 by the females out at the sandbar. 280 00:14:37,466 --> 00:14:39,700 So, if that is true, we should be able to see that 281 00:14:39,733 --> 00:14:43,133 in the stable isotope and in the fatty acid data. 282 00:14:45,033 --> 00:14:48,000 >> NARRATOR: The scientists also hope that 2014's 283 00:14:48,033 --> 00:14:50,500 quarterly survey will give them a better understanding 284 00:14:50,533 --> 00:14:54,133 of the animals' reproductive cycle. 285 00:14:54,166 --> 00:14:55,666 >> This of course has particular relevance 286 00:14:55,700 --> 00:14:58,633 to the sustainability of the whole experience. 287 00:14:58,666 --> 00:15:02,200 >> NARRATOR: Dr. Alexa McDermott conducts an ultrasound 288 00:15:02,233 --> 00:15:04,733 on each female that comes onboard. 289 00:15:04,766 --> 00:15:10,300 Unlike most fish, stingrays give birth to live pups. 290 00:15:10,333 --> 00:15:13,100 >> First I look at the uterus, usually because it's the easiest 291 00:15:13,133 --> 00:15:14,733 most prominent thing to find, 292 00:15:14,766 --> 00:15:16,533 especially if the animal is pregnant, 293 00:15:16,566 --> 00:15:19,066 and with the ultrasound you can see the uterine wall 294 00:15:19,100 --> 00:15:22,500 and you can see little finger-like projections 295 00:15:22,533 --> 00:15:25,433 inside the uterus on some of the animals if they're pregnant, 296 00:15:25,466 --> 00:15:28,200 and those secrete nutrients for the developing pups. 297 00:15:28,233 --> 00:15:33,800 So, this is an image of a pup inside the uterus. 298 00:15:33,833 --> 00:15:37,900 So, the uterus will be here and then the pup is here. 299 00:15:37,933 --> 00:15:41,966 This is the body of the pup and here's the wing and a wing. 300 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:45,866 So it's as if the pup is swimming at you on the screen, 301 00:15:45,900 --> 00:15:47,566 and you can even see the individual 302 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:51,033 little cartilage rays in the wings. 303 00:15:51,066 --> 00:15:52,833 And then I also look at the ovaries, 304 00:15:52,866 --> 00:15:56,233 so I look to see how many they have, 305 00:15:56,266 --> 00:16:00,033 if they're all the same color, if they're all the same size, 306 00:16:00,066 --> 00:16:02,833 if there are cysts present or not present. 307 00:16:02,866 --> 00:16:06,266 And so, I'm looking to see if that changes with pregnancy, 308 00:16:06,300 --> 00:16:09,733 seeing if that changes over time for individuals, 309 00:16:09,766 --> 00:16:12,033 and just kind of documenting it 310 00:16:12,066 --> 00:16:16,166 because it hasn't really been done before in this species. 311 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:19,366 >> NARRATOR: At each of the quarterly health assessments 312 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:23,566 in 2014, a little more than one-third of the females 313 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:26,500 were pregnant, leading the scientists to believe 314 00:16:26,533 --> 00:16:29,100 that there is no specific breeding season 315 00:16:29,133 --> 00:16:31,800 for this population of stingrays. 316 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,833 As the sandbar grew in popularity over the years, 317 00:16:39,866 --> 00:16:42,266 the increasing number of tourists at the site 318 00:16:42,300 --> 00:16:44,900 became a source of concern. 319 00:16:44,933 --> 00:16:48,233 >> The animals, on a heavy cruise ship day, are harassed, 320 00:16:48,266 --> 00:16:50,033 you can see that they are uncomfortable because they fly 321 00:16:50,066 --> 00:16:52,200 around the place, they're moving very quickly 322 00:16:52,233 --> 00:16:54,966 and they're not stopping. 323 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:58,833 >> NARRATOR: In 2007 rules were introduced to better regulate 324 00:16:58,866 --> 00:17:02,466 the interactions between rays and people. 325 00:17:02,500 --> 00:17:03,966 >> There's three types of limits: 326 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:07,333 A, a limit to the count of people you can have on the boat, 327 00:17:07,366 --> 00:17:09,433 and that's restricted to 100 people. 328 00:17:09,466 --> 00:17:11,000 Then there's a limit to the amount of boats 329 00:17:11,033 --> 00:17:13,533 that can be in there at any one time. 330 00:17:13,566 --> 00:17:16,833 So, the limit is 20 commercial boats for an hour or so, 331 00:17:16,866 --> 00:17:19,400 and obviously if you got 20 boats with 100 people on that, 332 00:17:19,433 --> 00:17:21,533 that gives the theoretical limit of 2,000 people, 333 00:17:21,566 --> 00:17:23,700 but there's an actual person limit 334 00:17:23,733 --> 00:17:26,800 of 1,500 commercial passengers. 335 00:17:26,833 --> 00:17:28,866 So, that just accounts for the fact that most of the boats 336 00:17:28,900 --> 00:17:31,066 can't carry 100 people. 337 00:17:33,266 --> 00:17:34,800 >> NARRATOR: The sandbar became what is known 338 00:17:34,833 --> 00:17:37,300 as a wildlife interaction zone, 339 00:17:37,333 --> 00:17:42,400 or W.I.Z., and stingrays were protected inside this area. 340 00:17:42,433 --> 00:17:46,733 >> You are allowed to hold them, you're allowed to feed them, 341 00:17:46,766 --> 00:17:48,866 but you are not allowed to lift them out of the water. 342 00:17:48,900 --> 00:17:51,166 There was also an issue with what people were feeding them. 343 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:54,200 So we introduced conditions that restricted the feeding 344 00:17:54,233 --> 00:17:56,400 to ballyhoo and squid. 345 00:17:56,433 --> 00:17:59,633 >> And you're not allowed to wear shoes in the water, 346 00:17:59,666 --> 00:18:02,600 you're not allowed to fish or take any wildlife 347 00:18:02,633 --> 00:18:04,600 out of the W.I.Z. zone, 348 00:18:04,633 --> 00:18:08,266 you aren't allowed to harm the rays in any way. 349 00:18:08,300 --> 00:18:12,466 >> It's a very difficult job to balance the private interest 350 00:18:12,500 --> 00:18:15,533 versus the commercial versus the tourism product, 351 00:18:15,566 --> 00:18:18,633 and above all that the environmental concerns. 352 00:18:18,666 --> 00:18:20,433 So yeah, we worked for close to five years consulting 353 00:18:20,466 --> 00:18:22,100 with the stake holders. 354 00:18:22,133 --> 00:18:24,133 I think it is the best compromise 355 00:18:24,166 --> 00:18:25,866 that could be expected under the situation. 356 00:18:25,900 --> 00:18:28,200 I do think that it does work well. 357 00:18:28,233 --> 00:18:30,666 There are definitely still days when the timing is off 358 00:18:30,700 --> 00:18:33,733 and you get the full quota, the 20 boats with a lot 359 00:18:33,766 --> 00:18:36,466 of people and the sense then is it's very, very crowded 360 00:18:36,500 --> 00:18:37,966 and I don't think people enjoy that. 361 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:40,033 But on a typical day with one to two ships, 362 00:18:40,066 --> 00:18:43,000 it's not so stressful at the sandbar. 363 00:18:43,033 --> 00:18:45,200 Yeah, there are things we would like to change, 364 00:18:45,233 --> 00:18:47,566 but respecting all of the stakeholders and the compromise 365 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:50,066 that we are at, I think, yeah, the balance is pretty good. 366 00:18:50,100 --> 00:18:52,933 >> NARRATOR: While the rays now had protection 367 00:18:52,966 --> 00:18:55,900 inside the wildlife interaction zone, 368 00:18:55,933 --> 00:18:57,666 no laws prohibited the taking of rays 369 00:18:57,700 --> 00:19:00,333 elsewhere around the island. 370 00:19:00,366 --> 00:19:02,066 >> The W.I.Z. zone isn't large enough 371 00:19:02,100 --> 00:19:04,100 for the typical ray territory of a stingray. 372 00:19:04,133 --> 00:19:07,000 So, once a stingray traveled outside the W.I.Z. zone, 373 00:19:07,033 --> 00:19:09,566 it was theoretically possible that you can capture that ray 374 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:12,333 and there was no law saying what you did with it-- 375 00:19:12,366 --> 00:19:14,966 you could eat the ray, you could put it in a tank-- 376 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:17,233 which is actually what happened. 377 00:19:17,266 --> 00:19:20,433 We had a local establishment that had about ten rays 378 00:19:20,466 --> 00:19:22,933 that had put them in a tank and had them on display 379 00:19:22,966 --> 00:19:25,700 with other creatures that it had there. 380 00:19:25,733 --> 00:19:28,000 >> They said they came from fishermen, they were caught 381 00:19:28,033 --> 00:19:31,000 by hook and line and would have died anyway. 382 00:19:31,033 --> 00:19:33,733 >> But one thing that was very noticeable about the rays 383 00:19:33,766 --> 00:19:36,633 that were in the tank is that they were not freaked out 384 00:19:36,666 --> 00:19:39,266 by humans and that you could hand feed them, 385 00:19:39,300 --> 00:19:41,733 which everybody immediately assumed these rays had come 386 00:19:41,766 --> 00:19:43,200 from the sand bar. 387 00:19:43,233 --> 00:19:45,966 So there was a hue and cry about the fact that people 388 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:47,566 were taking rays from the sand bar. 389 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:49,800 So, we investigated the situation and found 390 00:19:49,833 --> 00:19:53,033 that out of the ten rays that they had, 391 00:19:53,066 --> 00:19:56,733 a couple of them had been tagged from our research efforts. 392 00:19:56,766 --> 00:20:00,800 And from our research, we know that stingrays 393 00:20:00,833 --> 00:20:05,333 around the sandbar show a strong site fidelity to the area. 394 00:20:05,366 --> 00:20:08,133 And so the likelihood that they would have come 395 00:20:08,166 --> 00:20:10,400 from Stingray City was quite high, 396 00:20:10,433 --> 00:20:13,900 but you can't prove that because some will forage elsewhere 397 00:20:13,933 --> 00:20:16,400 if they haven't been fed enough for the day, 398 00:20:16,433 --> 00:20:19,800 and they're not protected outside the W.I.Z. zone. 399 00:20:19,833 --> 00:20:23,633 >> And that actually heightened the awareness of, wow, 400 00:20:23,666 --> 00:20:26,100 we think the numbers of the animals on the sandbar 401 00:20:26,133 --> 00:20:28,766 have been declining and might this be another reason 402 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:30,200 why they're declining. 403 00:20:30,233 --> 00:20:32,400 Are people actually fishing for them, 404 00:20:32,433 --> 00:20:35,466 are they being taken to other locations? 405 00:20:35,500 --> 00:20:38,766 I think that was definitely an eye-opener, if you will, 406 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:40,500 for the Department of Environment, 407 00:20:40,533 --> 00:20:42,866 for the ecotourism industry down here 408 00:20:42,900 --> 00:20:44,966 that more protection was needed. 409 00:20:46,500 --> 00:20:49,266 >> In the press it became quite a heated item 410 00:20:49,300 --> 00:20:51,233 because the owner and operator of the Dolphin Discovery 411 00:20:51,266 --> 00:20:55,066 didn't want to let go of the animals. 412 00:20:55,100 --> 00:20:57,100 And the D.O.E. made them put back the tagged ones 413 00:20:57,133 --> 00:20:59,833 but they held onto the six untagged ones. 414 00:20:59,866 --> 00:21:01,633 And we were pushing to get them protected 415 00:21:01,666 --> 00:21:04,333 because theoretically anyone can take a stingray 416 00:21:04,366 --> 00:21:07,200 and fling it on their barbeque, because people do eat them, 417 00:21:07,233 --> 00:21:10,000 or put them in their own pool, or put them in their bathtub 418 00:21:10,033 --> 00:21:11,300 and do whatever they want 419 00:21:11,333 --> 00:21:13,300 and there was nothing to protect the stingray 420 00:21:13,333 --> 00:21:14,566 and why would you want this to happen 421 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:17,100 if these animals are worth so much money? 422 00:21:17,133 --> 00:21:21,533 So, I took a back of an envelope calculation and said, 423 00:21:21,566 --> 00:21:28,466 you know 60 rays, at the time there were only 60 rays, 424 00:21:28,500 --> 00:21:32,333 500,000 people paying $40 a head, 425 00:21:32,366 --> 00:21:35,100 each animal generates half a million dollars a year. 426 00:21:35,133 --> 00:21:37,166 They're long-lived, slow-growing animals, 427 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:39,900 so in 20 years an animal theoretically can generate 428 00:21:39,933 --> 00:21:41,866 $10 million for this country. 429 00:21:41,900 --> 00:21:43,366 Why wouldn't you protect them? 430 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:46,700 Until we put it into dollars and cents, finally the penny dropped 431 00:21:46,733 --> 00:21:49,633 for the politicians and something got done about it. 432 00:21:49,666 --> 00:21:51,500 And the next Minister of Environment, he gets it, said, 433 00:21:51,533 --> 00:21:56,266 "You put those stingrays back in the ocean where they belong." 434 00:21:56,300 --> 00:21:58,566 And there was a big palaver about that 435 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:00,733 and they got released, and I'm glad to say 436 00:22:00,766 --> 00:22:03,200 many of those same animals are still at the sandbar 437 00:22:03,233 --> 00:22:06,100 so they've become acclimatized to their new location 438 00:22:06,133 --> 00:22:08,700 and are doing fine. 439 00:22:08,733 --> 00:22:12,333 >> NARRATOR: In May 2013, a law was put in place 440 00:22:12,366 --> 00:22:14,366 that protected southern stingrays 441 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:17,600 and two other species in the Cayman Islands. 442 00:22:17,633 --> 00:22:19,533 >> You could no longer have a ray in captivity, 443 00:22:19,566 --> 00:22:21,266 you could no longer take one from the wild, 444 00:22:21,300 --> 00:22:23,933 so that was the reason that that was introduced. 445 00:22:23,966 --> 00:22:26,466 Again, not really to protect rays 446 00:22:26,500 --> 00:22:28,400 because they were threatened as a species, 447 00:22:28,433 --> 00:22:31,200 but the sandbar rays were threatened by entrepreneurs 448 00:22:31,233 --> 00:22:33,100 that wanted to kind of exploit the fact 449 00:22:33,133 --> 00:22:36,833 that these rays were already conditioned to being hand fed. 450 00:22:36,866 --> 00:22:39,866 So, the majority of the rays in captivity were male, 451 00:22:39,900 --> 00:22:42,666 and subsequently there was a very big fall off 452 00:22:42,700 --> 00:22:44,033 in the number of males at the sandbar, 453 00:22:44,066 --> 00:22:45,500 and this was actually quite a serious issue 454 00:22:45,533 --> 00:22:47,866 because there was already a very large imbalance 455 00:22:47,900 --> 00:22:50,233 between male and female. 456 00:22:50,266 --> 00:22:54,500 >> There are currently seven females to one male, 457 00:22:54,533 --> 00:22:56,733 and so removing animals, especially males, 458 00:22:56,766 --> 00:23:00,400 from the population could have a drastic effect. 459 00:23:00,433 --> 00:23:03,766 >> NARRATOR: But since the return of the captive animals 460 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:06,833 to the sandbar the population has rebounded. 461 00:23:06,866 --> 00:23:08,766 >> The population has definitely rebounded for reasons 462 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:11,566 we still don't fully understand and this is why the blood work 463 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:14,800 coming in from the Georgia Aquarium folks is so valuable. 464 00:23:14,833 --> 00:23:17,866 You can get a better handle on their reproductive rate, 465 00:23:17,900 --> 00:23:19,666 on their body analysis and all that. 466 00:23:19,700 --> 00:23:21,900 >> We are not seeing the numbers necessarily 467 00:23:21,933 --> 00:23:24,966 that we would have seen in 2008, 468 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:29,100 but they have certainly increased from 2012, 469 00:23:29,133 --> 00:23:30,466 which is very positive. 470 00:23:30,500 --> 00:23:34,033 >> NARRATOR: But despite the rules and new protections, 471 00:23:34,066 --> 00:23:36,200 some in the community still feel 472 00:23:36,233 --> 00:23:39,866 there are too many boats at the site. 473 00:23:39,900 --> 00:23:43,466 >> You cannot give the people what they are paying for 474 00:23:43,500 --> 00:23:48,066 when there's 800 or 1,000 people out here. 475 00:23:48,100 --> 00:23:50,833 I want them to have good memories 476 00:23:50,866 --> 00:23:52,466 of what this is all about, 477 00:23:52,500 --> 00:23:54,833 it's not just to enjoy themselves, 478 00:23:54,866 --> 00:23:58,433 but to be educational and respect the environment. 479 00:23:58,466 --> 00:24:03,633 I'm very emotional when I see a stingray get hurt, 480 00:24:03,666 --> 00:24:09,233 I literally want to cry because they're a part of my life. 481 00:24:09,266 --> 00:24:12,566 This is a big earner for Cayman 482 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,100 and this is one of our national gifts 483 00:24:15,133 --> 00:24:18,800 and we should respect it and not abuse it. 484 00:24:18,833 --> 00:24:22,400 Put less boats out here. 485 00:24:22,433 --> 00:24:25,300 Lot of the boats, I feel, is overloaded. 486 00:24:25,333 --> 00:24:27,033 >> On the major cruise ship days 487 00:24:27,066 --> 00:24:29,500 you can get up to five or six ships in dock, 488 00:24:29,533 --> 00:24:32,800 so it does become very busy indeed. 489 00:24:32,833 --> 00:24:34,633 >> Those animals may see 5,000 people 490 00:24:34,666 --> 00:24:36,500 in a day during the busy season. 491 00:24:36,533 --> 00:24:41,600 That's an awful lot of human interaction. 492 00:24:41,633 --> 00:24:44,100 >> My recommendation is that there be no more 493 00:24:44,133 --> 00:24:46,166 than 300 or 400 people on the sandbar 494 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:48,266 at any given time and how you control that 495 00:24:48,300 --> 00:24:51,000 from a government perspective is up to them. 496 00:24:51,033 --> 00:24:54,500 It's our job is to provide the data, the science, 497 00:24:54,533 --> 00:24:56,233 on what is happening out there 498 00:24:56,266 --> 00:25:01,200 and give it to the policy makers to make a decision. 499 00:25:01,233 --> 00:25:03,333 >> It can be a difficult balance to strike, 500 00:25:03,366 --> 00:25:06,933 but I think we should nonetheless make every effort 501 00:25:06,966 --> 00:25:08,200 to get the balance right. 502 00:25:08,233 --> 00:25:12,666 It has high economic value for us. 503 00:25:12,700 --> 00:25:16,500 But if we aren't good stewards, and if the welfare of the rays 504 00:25:16,533 --> 00:25:20,500 are not our primary focus and somehow we do something 505 00:25:20,533 --> 00:25:23,166 to lose that, then we have lost the battle 506 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:25,433 and we have lost everything. 507 00:25:25,466 --> 00:25:27,733 So, we need to really err on the side of caution 508 00:25:27,766 --> 00:25:30,500 and try to make sure from a conservation perspective 509 00:25:30,533 --> 00:25:32,700 that we get things right. 510 00:26:14,066 --> 00:26:15,766 Major funding for this program 511 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:18,466 was provided by the Batchelor Foundation, 512 00:26:18,500 --> 00:26:21,800 encouraging people to preserve and protect 513 00:26:21,833 --> 00:26:26,766 America's underwater resources. 514 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:29,900 And by Divers Direct Emocean Club, 515 00:26:29,933 --> 00:26:31,166 inspiring the pursuit 516 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:34,500 of tropical adventures and scuba diving. 517 00:26:34,533 --> 00:26:37,266 And by the Do Unto Others Trust.