Massive Spotted Eagle Ray Jumps Into Unsuspecting Family’s Boat And Gives Birth

A family of three got more than they bargained for when competition in a deep sea fishing competition off the coast of Alabama.

April Jones, her husband, and their son were fishing near Dauphin Island, Alabama as part of the 2022 Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo when a massive spotted eagle ray launched herself into their boat!

April shared about the incident on Facebook, noting that the ray was estimated to be around 400 pounds and over 5-feet long.

In her post, she explained that the ray actually hit her when it jumped into their boat, and caused damage to their bimini top, power poles, and several fishing rods.

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Damages aside, the group knew they needed to get the ray back into the ocean before it was too late but when they tried to lift her, she was too heavy to move.

Then, the ray surprised them even more by giving birth to four pups on the boat!

Unfortunately, the babies came prematurely and they were all stillborn. April wrote: “We are devastated the babies did not survive but there was nothing we could have done.”

Eventually, four men were able to work together to get the mama ray back to the safety of the ocean. While her babies didn’t survive, she was able to live and that’s a victory in and of itself.

In an interview with Fox News, Brian Jones, the curator of the Alabama Aquarium, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, explained: “It’s not uncommon for wild animals to release their young when they feel their life is in danger. This is surely an adaptation that gives the parents a better chance at producing offspring and passing along their genes in the population.”

The babies were donated to the Dauphin Island Sea Lab so scientists can learn more about the incredible species.

According to the IUCN Red List, spotted eagle rays are considered “vulnerable” and their populations are decreasing, with their biggest threats being logging and fishing.

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