There is nothing quite as enjoyable as being out for the day with your family on a boat. You never quite know what you are going to see, however, and that is what happened during a fishing tournament in Alabama.
April Jones was fishing with her husband and son off the Sand Island Lighthouse near Dauphin Island, Alabama when something totally unexpected happened. They were taking part in the 2022 Alabama Deep-Sea Fishing Rodeo when a 400-pound spotted Eagle Ray jumped on the deck of their boat.
This was no small Eagle Ray. Not only did it weigh over 400 pounds, it had a 5-foot wingspan and Jones got hit in the shoulder as she flew onto the ship from the water.
She later described what she saw on Facebook. She said: “This thing was beautiful.” She also admitted that it was a scary experience as well.
Although the people on the boat were shaken up over what happened, the mother Eagle Ray was also frightened as well. They tried to put her back in the water and were pouring water on her continually so she didn’t dry out. She gave birth to four pups prematurely because of the stress.
“We are devastated the babies did not survive but there was nothing we could have done,” Jones wrote.
In speaking with Fox News, they said that the Eagle Ray weighed so much that the boat was bogged down. Water was pouring into the back so they rushed over to a boat launch, and that is the same area where the Dauphin Island Sea Lab was located.
The curator of the Alabama aquarium, Brian Jones, spoke to Fox News as well. He said: “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.”
Four men were able to lift the Eagle Ray out of the boat and put her back into the ocean. The lab received the babies to do some research because eagle rays are listed as near endangered.
Jones had a sore collarbone and shoulder strain as a result of the Eagle ray striking her on its way into the boat. There was also some damage to the power poles and the top of the boat and four fishing rods were broken.