Fishing is a widespread and popular practice among many people, who also consider it a time of relaxation and rest. Some people like to go it alone, others in a group, and still others fish professionally.
April Jones knows it well, she often goes fishing on the coasts of Alabama, in the United States, with her husband and son. But during one of their mornings of fishing, a decidedly strange thing happened: a large, five-foot, 400-pound spotted manta ray jumped aboard their boat. On the family boat, the manta ray gave birth to her young. Let’s see how things went.
The scene which this family witnessed is certainly not frequent. A manta ray weighing around 180 kilos suddenly jumped on their boat and gave birth to four cubs.
The protagonists of this curious story, as well as the animal, are April Jones, 34, her husband, stepfather and son who were involved in the Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo .
The woman was about to leave the area, which she said was not optimal for fishing, when the giant manta ray swooped down on the back of the boat. Jones said she thought the sea creature was jumping because of a remora, or sucker fish, attached to its belly. But this is not the case.
The woman tried in vain to lift her from the boat and continuously poured water on her, but the manta was there for a much more important reason. She was to give birth to her four babies. However, the weight of the skate created problems for the boat. Jones and his family rushed to the nearest boat.
The explanation for the impending birth was provided by an expert who said: ‘It is not uncommon for wild animals to release their young when they feel uneasy or threatened. ‘an adaptation that gives parents a better chance of passing on their genes to their offspring ‘.
It took four men, but the mother manta ray was released safely back into the waters . Her young were then donated to the lab for species research.
An incredible story, isn’t it?
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