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REDINGTON BEACH (FOX 13) - A drone pilot spotted a massive fever of rays just along the shoreline of Redington Beach Thanksgiving morning.
Michael McDonough was able to record video of the long line of rays. He also hovered over the surface, giving us a glimpse into the rays' movements.
The water, which has been cloudy and riddled with dead marine life, left by red tide, was surprisingly clear Thursday morning. A few beachgoers peered over the tide to get a glimpse of the large marine animals.
Several species of ray live in the Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. While not known as being aggressive. However, many won't hesitate to strike with their sharp barb if stepped on in the sand.
As many residents know, it's best to drag your feet along the bottom of the beach -- the so-called stingray shuffle -- in order to avoid stepping directly on them.
However, as one Facebook commenter pointed out, there may have been too many in this particular group for the shuffle to be effective.
The rays spotted Thanksgiving were most likely cownose rays, which often swim together in groups of hundreds or even thousands -- a formation known as a fever.