A beached skate appears to be happy now that he’s free of life’s burdens
If you’re among the many who walk Pt. Williams Beach often, or if you did, then you may have seen this creature lying lifeless on the beach in March 2024.
As I understand, 2024 wasn’t a good for year for skates in our waters, and as of yet, I’ve not found an explanation. When we spotted this one, I was convinced that due to its flat, kite-shaped body it must be a stingray; but later found that one of the quickest ways to tell them apart is by their tails. Stingrays typically have long, whip-like tails while skates’ tails, tend to be short, thick and fleshy, and stingrays bodies are noticeably larger…who knew?
Both are elasmobranchs, meaning they are cartilaginous fish (made up of cartilage instead of bone) and many have openings called spiracles on the tops of their heads which allow animals like them to sit on the ocean floor and take in oxygenated water from above, which allows them to live in the sand or mud without breathing. So if you happen to do a face plant in the sand anytime soon, you very well may still be able to breathe!
Considering the adorable face on this one, it was tough to accept that it would no longer be swimming near our shores, but also comforting in that its remains could very well serve as food for other marine life, birds, and wildlife.
And so the cycle of life continues.
