The report I just watched said he swam right on top of a Sting Ray. The sting ray jabs it stinger directly upward when it is frightened and the stinger is about 10 inches long. That means he had to be right on top of it and less than ten inches away, so he was basically hugging it.
oohah
I don't think that's right. The stinger is at the end of a long tail. The ray can whip that up. I think it means he was within 2-3 feet of the stingray. The water was reportedly only about 5-6 feet deep. Rays usually travel near the bottom. It was also tiger shark season, when the rays on edge from predators. Irwin probably looked alot like a tiger shark moving in for a kill.
You mess with nature and animals will defend themselves.
Don't know if Irwin was qualified or knew what he was doing in the sea. But the guy was a risk-taker. Sure it's unlucky he was killed, but from what I've read, you don't really want a stingray stabbing you with poison anywhere, as it hurts like hell.
[Edited by - BoDid on 09-05-2006 11:48 PM]