Everyone is saddened to hear of the untimely death of Steve Irwin. But, the interesting bit to me is seeing the sudden "Sting Ray Education" posts and links sweeping over the web. I hope most people realise what gentle creatures they are and don't lump them in the "dangerous beasties" category.

Bull Ray: Looking to my left I saw this big guy swimming next to meIt's no surprise seeing one of these huge graceful creatures at Rye or Mornington where we often dive. They're the ones always surprising us, not the other way around. When we spot one, we love finding a place to just hover and watch while they swim by or approach us curiously. The one on the right was probably about 2 metres from tip to tail.

Last year while diving at Pope's Eye, somebody cornered a small skate (in the Ray family) and the barb pierced his wrist. That was the first "diving casualty" I've seen, and later I learned that the barb injury was over 2cm deep. I can imagine what one of the big rays could do.

Though the Irwin incident certainly may give pause about the dangers of the sea, I personally can't wait for the next ray encounter I have while diving. They are amazing to watch.