00:00Armed with a bowl full of shrimp, we're headed to the Stingray Tank, where the resident Atlantic and Southern Stingrays are patiently waiting for their meals to be served.
00:12So these rays enjoy their meal kebab style. All you have to do is grab a shrimp, skewer it, lower it into the water and the rays will take care of the rest.
00:23As the Stingrays come closer for a meal, we have the opportunity to get a better look at their features.
00:29Their mouths are located on the underside of their bodies and so are their gill slits and nostrils, but their eyes sit on top of their head, which makes it easy to keep a lookout for predators and prey while they rest on the ocean floor.
00:42It's obvious that these beautiful creatures have an ideal body plan for life underwater, and they certainly know their way around this tank, especially when it comes to feeding time.
00:53But did you know that Stingrays are actually members of a group known as cartilaginous fish?
00:57Instead, their skeletons aren't made of bone, they're made of cartilage, which is the same stuff that comprises the tips of our noses, which allows extra flexibility in those large wing-like fins.
01:08It's actually quite mesmerising to watch them fly through the water with effortless grace.
01:13And check out that tail!
01:14It's almost twice as long as its body.
01:18And if you look carefully, you can see the defence mechanism that gives the Stingray its name.
01:23The barbs on their tails are covered in a venomous mucus, and can in fact sting their predators if they're being attacked.
01:29And it's because of this barb that these magnificent creatures are often misunderstood.
01:34But with like any animal, whether under human care or in the wild, if you keep a safe distance and treat them with respect, we can live alongside them harmoniously.
