By default of this blog’s theme, I couldn’t NOT participate in this weekly photo challenge.
But since this blog is already chock full of sea photos, this week’s challenge was a bit more, um, challenging. What could I possibly publish that was different not only from my own blog, but from the other entries?
So I did what I always do and took my camera with me yesterday and hoped for something unique to capture.
We stumbled upon some photographically interesting things such as a wedding party, a single mother trying to relax with her misbehaving children, a lonely man in his 60s and a bikini-clad girl with a message on her hindquarters.
However, I didn’t have any photography releases on my person for the subjects to sign to waive me from liability, so I had to focus on my own subjects.
A few posts ago, the subject came up about gigging sting rays. Since that post, my son had created and built his own spear gun and decided to try it out yesterday.
For you do-it-yourself-ers, he used a PVC pipe, 18 inches of surgical tubing, a pipe clamp, a slingshot frame, some wire, a filed-down steel bar and a hollow, aluminum arrow. And some fishing line.
To test it out, he waded to the edge of a sand bar before a good little drop, and went to work:
Because sting rays have been something of a nuisance this season, it didn’t take him long to locate several through his snorkel mask before he was able to zero in on his catch.
If you’re wondering how he didn’t get stung, he knows that sting rays are naturally skittish. Shuffling your feet along the sandy bottom, where they hide, causes them to swim away.
If you don’t shuffle your feet, you may step on one. This startles them and they instinctively whip their serrated tail, which causes several cuts into your skin into which it’s venom is released simultaneously. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle!
This is an Atlantic Stingray, one of several species of stingrays in the Gulf of Mexico.
Back at the homestead, our catch is now on the operating table where we carefully examine his barb.
What tadoo with a stingray, once caught?
Since my son is part Eskimo, he makes full use of the entire animal. He filleted the meat and used the carcass to feed the local armadillos and nutria.
And what of the barb? He conducted an experiment to see if the industrious fire ants in the front yard might enjoy dining on it. No, they did not, nor did their colonies, and, voilà! A new fire ant deterrent was discovered this weekend. Evidently, fire ants DO NOT like stingray venom.
Turning now to stingray cuisine, we focus now on making supper.
The not-so-secret ingredients to one of the most awesome coatings: Kentucky Kernel seasoned flour along with Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning. Famous for famous Southern fried chicken, these ingredients can turn anything into heaven.
Eager to try out his catch of the day, my son forgot the cardinal rule of Southern cooking: use the cast iron pan instead (mama gently bawled him out after this shot was taken).
It turned out delicious, anyway. Unlike alligator and many other unusual dishes which can be described as “tasting like chicken” or some other common culinary frame of reference, there was no way to describe how sting ray tasted. As he put it, “It tasted like, er, sting ray – or like a few different salt water fish-types, combined.”
Thanks, God, for giving us the incredible seas which have and give life – interdependent, without which we could not be. And bless each of the talented bloggers who glorify You in their portrayals of the sea.
That is so cool!!
Thanks, 3D – it was a fun day and we learned a LOT about the sea, and about life that day. Not pictured was an unauthorized shoot I did of a wedding taking place on the beach as we caught these rays.
~~ssm
Thank you, 3D. I’d almost forgotten about this post…sting rays on the stove are but a summer memory right now 😀
~~ssm
You mean you couldn’t wade in this past weekend and spear a few? It had to be warm enough! Imagine, caroling on the beach? Merry Christmas SSM!
Yes, we do caroling on the beach – we do! And watch out for me at the FloraBama doing the polar bear dip on New Years 😀 But the wildlife at our beach change with the seasons, and the sting rays have been replaced with Portuguese Man-o-Wars – thus the purple things washed up in recent pics…as if on cue to match the purple robes at church to usher in the Christ child, thus the purple jellyfish are aplenty around Christmas. God’s perfect timing – when few are apt to brave the most dangerous waters. They’ll be gone by the polar bear dip, though! Merry Christmas, 3D!
~~ssm
Wow, you are truly a coastal creature! I think I have met my match! If you were on the beach, who would you carol to? That was my biggest question. I just saw it turning into a windy beach combing gig.And you follow the seasonal creatures in your waters too? That one pica looked like a toddler–Wars. but that must be an eerily beautiful site to see all the purple jelly fish in the tides. And then you are going all aquawoman on us on New Years day? Are your boys going to be there to watch their crazy mom? Or joining you? You all seem like a great family! Now, ‘polar bear dip’? How cold are your waters in January? Merry Christmas my friend! God’ perfect timing…
Yes, mama does the polar bear dip – she is a sea creature to be sure. I am about to post a new post – stay tuned in a few secs…Tell me about your seasonal creatures in the Atlantic. The boys watch but don’t join their crazy mother, too chilly. You know who I’d carol to. The same dear, devoted man who caroled to me today. Water was 56 last time I polar dipped – a warm day for the August whitewaters in Oregon that I used to frequent! I smell a new kayak in my future…. merry Christmas 3D…:D
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Now I want to eat sting ray. Be impressed that you were able to convince me that I need it now.
Hmmm…I wonder if there might be a weird market for it, like alligator. I suppose I should start looking for either a reputable seafood distributor or a reputable publisher. We’ll be sure to rustle some up for you when you come for that iced tea on the front porch.
~~ssm
That is all so cool. I’m very impressed.
I never know what subject will present itself on any given day at the beach, here. This one astonished even me. Thank you, PIF.
~~ssm
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I had no idea these were edible either. Don’t know if I’d be up for a taste either…unless I was really hungry. I DO like seafood though.
Talented son, you have there, talented photographer MOM!
Ms. Tess, your encouragement is always so very appreciated. It is a curious dish, at best. So if you’re ever stranded on a tropical island and not sure what to eat…here ya go!
~~ssm
Well…if I was stranded…I guess. Thanks for the tip. Hee-hee.
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I had no idea that you could eat a stingray 🙂
It’s probably more common in other (sea-based) cultures than here in the United States. I know I sure couldn’t find anything on the Food Network or allrecipes.com about stingrays…in fact, the latter said, “Sorry, couldn’t find anything matching – did you mean ‘stingy?'”
~~ssm